Opinions

President Muhammadu Buhari has joined the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and workers in the country in celebrating the pioneer President of the congress (1978-1984), Alhaji Hassan Adebayo Sunmonu, on his 80th birthday, January 7th, 2021. In a release on 6 January by Femi Adeshina, the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), the President rejoiced with the former NLC President and his twin brother, Hussein Oyekanmi Sunmonu, on the milestone, saluting their courage for dedicating most of their working life to public service, starting out early in the ’60s as staff of the Ministry of the then Works and Surveys. President Buhari affirms that the former Secretary-General of the Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) left a strong legacy in the public service and fought diligently for the welfare of the Nigerian worker, institutionalizing a national minimum wage and minimum pension scheme, and consistently negotiating with public and private sector employers on better packages for workers. As the identical twins turn octogenarians, the President extols their courage and discipline in always accepting to serve the nation, believing that their knowledge and experiences will continue to inspire many into public service and pressure groups, which continue to work with governments in fostering development. President Buhari prays for good health and longer life for Alhaji Sunmonu and his brother, Hussein.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has alerted the public about plans by some elements working with external forces to incite religious violence across the country.  Targeted States include Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Rivers, Oyo, Lagos, and those in the South East. In a press release made available to the media on 11 January by its Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, the security service disclosed that part of the plans is to cause inter-religious conflicts as well as use their foot soldiers to attack some worship centres, religious leaders, personalities, key and vulnerable points. It, therefore, advised Nigerians “to be wary of these antics and shun all divisive tendencies aimed at inciting or setting them against one another.” It further warned those hatching these plots to desist from such in the interest of peace, security, and development of the country. “However, law-abiding citizens (and residents) are encouraged to report suspected breaches of peace around them to the nearest security agencies,” it said. The full text of the press release can be read below: PRESS RELEASE PLOTS TO INCITE RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA The Department of State Services (DSS) wishes to alert the public about plans by some elements working with external forces to incite religious violence across the country.  Targeted States include Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Rivers, Oyo, Lagos, and those in the South East. Part of the plans is to cause inter-religious conflicts as well as use their foot soldiers to attack some worship centers, religious leaders, personalities, key, and vulnerable points. Consequently, Nigerians are advised to be wary of these antics and shun all divisive tendencies aimed at inciting or setting them against one another. While the Service pledges to collaborate with sister agencies to ensure that public order is maintained, those hatching these plots are warned to desist from such in the interest of peace, security, and development of the country. However, law-abiding citizens (and residents) are encouraged to report suspected breaches of peace around them to the nearest security agencies. Peter Afunanya, Ph.DPublic Relations Officer,Department of State Services,National Headquarters,Abuja11th January 2021

With the gracious approval and blessings of its Supreme Head, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has eventually laid the foundation stone of the Minaret International University, Ikirun, Osun State.The much-anticipated foundation stone laying was performed by the Executive Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola, witnessed by top dignitaries including government officials, traditional rulers, and personalities across the country. Recall that the organization had embarked on the University Project in 2017 with the processing of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) and documentation with the National Universities Commission. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community known to be a pioneer of Muslim education in Nigeria intends to establish a world-class tertiary institution for the intellectual and manpower development of human resources for sustainable socio-economic development nationally, regionally, and internationally.The University will also focus on environmentally sustainable growth and development of all aspects of agriculture, energy and transportation infrastructure, water and natural resources manufacturing and processing, management sciences, engineering, communication technology, humanities as well as scientific and technological research relevant to global development problems and challenges.Governor Oyetola lauded Ahmadiyya Community for its roles in educational development as well as humanitarian services within the country and across the globe. He believed education and religion are timeless and potent instruments for the development and transformation of society. “The expediency of these two tools is even more compelling today that the society requires moral and ethical rebirth. It is therefore heartening that Minaret International University is combining religion and education to build the character of our youths and help them to acquire knowledge to deliver the future that we desire.“Our Administration considers education and good moral standing as essential tools for building leaders of tomorrow and ensuring sustainable development. In line with the belief of the State that government cannot solely provide the education the State needs, successive governments have encouraged willing individuals and groups to establish schools at all levels. Consequently, Osun is home to top-notch tertiary institutions that are making their contributions to the development of the State and the nation.“The establishment of Minaret International University is a welcome addition to this family. As a notable knowledge-seeking and religion-savvy institution known for its tradition of excellence, I have no doubt that Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at will build a University that is a Centre of excellence in deed and in truth. I am also persuaded that the organization will produce graduates who will be problem solvers and job creators.“Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at of Nigeria has proved over the years to be a frontline Muslim organization in the propagation of the Islamic faith. It has also demonstrated an irredeemable commitment to the peace, progress, and welfare of the people and State of Osun and the nation. These contributions are traceable to the visionary leadership of the organization. “On behalf of the Government and people of Osun, I appreciate the leadership of this notable organization for its services to humanity and the decision to site this University in Osun, which will further expand access to tertiary education and also contribute to the development of our State,” the governor added.The Amir (National Head) of the organization in Nigeria, Barr. Alatoye Folorunso Azeez, in his address, heartily appreciated the good support and neighborliness of the State government and the host Community towards the success of the foundation stone laying event.“We are most grateful to the host Community of Ikirun, the immediate past Akirun of Ikirunland, His Royal Majesty, Late Oba Abdul Rauf Olawale Adedeji II, and the Osun State Government for the strong support to the actualization of this dream. Most importantly, we are very grateful to His Holiness, the worldwide Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at for his kind approval of the University to be sited at Ikirun in Osun State.“MIU is owned by 215 Countries where Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been formally established. It is the first of its kind globally, innovative University with a difference designed to promote academic excellence, moral discipline, and the spirit of selfless service for the advancement of socio-economic development, the emancipation of the people, and commitment to global cooperation for development and unity of humanity. “The philosophy of MIU is to guard against alcoholism and drug addiction, ensure banishment of cultism, embrace theory and practical/work approach, practical entrepreneurship training, embrace sports, physical fitness and martial arts and strict enforcement of moral discipline. The tuition fees will be moderate and affordable for brilliant students,” Barr. Alatoye stated.

By Tamim Abu DaqqaAhmadi Muslim Scholar By the end of 2013, my mother had suffered horrible pains due to cancer. Her condition had deteriorated that we had to call my brothers abroad to be with her in her last days or moments, especially since all the physical signs had shown obviously that the end of my beloved mother was close. During those critical days, it happened that I was supposed to travel to the UK for ‘Alhiwar Almubashir’ (The Live Dialogue) TV program on MTA (Muslim Television Ahmadiyya). Though I’m a regular panelist in this program, I hadn’t presented previously any excuses for not attending the program, nor had asked Huzur (Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Fifth Khalifa of the Promised Massiah, the Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Community) for the permission to stay with my mother, whose health had reached the irreversible stage of multiple organ failure. Despite all, I decided to travel entrusting myself to Allah Almighty. I told my mother about my decision, and also told her that, if she didn’t want me to travel, I would cancel the flight and would do what was needed to stay with her.  She said: ’Go, trust Allah’. I had visited her on the eve of my flight to the UK to say goodbye, thinking that I would never see her again. I told myself that it might be Allah’s will to have mercy on me, and not to suffer witnessing her death and burial. My attitude seemed inexplicable to many: my brothers had come back from abroad, then, I wanted to leave! I had kept contacting my brothers and sisters till the last moment before the plane took off. They said she had been suffering what seemed agony of death, although she had few short moments of consciousness. As I arrived at Heathrow Airport, I immediately phoned my family to check out my mother. They informed me she has become closer to death. That restless situation, the phone calls, the tension, and the fear of the inevitable end had made me concerned to the extent that I had forgotten my hand luggage with my passports as well in the trolley without noticing- as I was still on the phone when I rode the car – till I reached my residence. I restored this bag miraculously the next day (This is another remarkable story that I will tell later). Huzur (May Allah be his helper) had been informed about the deteriorated condition of my mother. He blamed me in my first meeting with him for traveling and said that I should have stayed with her. I told him that I had asked her and she preferred that I would not quit the honor of Jihad even at those critical last moments of her life. Then, by the end of my visit, and before my flight back to Jordan, I had met Huzur (May Allah be his Helper) again. We both spoke in English in the meeting, He said with kindness: How is the “Walidah” (a very respective way of mentioning the mother, which is an Arabic word and became an Urdu word too). I replied, ‘Huzur, she is in the terminal state! I meant that she is leaving us any time soon, based on what I had been told by my brothers and the medical reports. However, I had felt that it was not appropriate to be sure about the death of any person based on the apparent physical causes that do not bind Allah’s will Who owns life and death. Then, clarifying, I said: “But, if it is Allah’s decree to revive her, that is another issue…” At that moment I felt that Huzur (May Allah be his Helper) was looking at me with a special glorified divine look. He didn’t talk and I, too, kept silent. I felt that Allah Almighty’s decree had fulfilled something. It was a very special moment! Before leaving London, I had phoned my brothers and sisters. They said she was alive and that she slightly looked a little better. I had flown back to Amman post-midnight. So, I had to visit her the next morning. The next morning, my brothers told me that the doctors had discharged her. So, instead of going to the hospital, I went to the family home. A few minutes after my arrival, the ambulance had dropped her home. She seemed better. I left her to rest and, then, talked to her. She cried as she told me about the remarkable vision she had seen during her last day in the hospital. “I saw an angel roaming around in the room. The angel stopped at my bed. I felt that he has come to take me. So, I recited the Shahada (I bear witness There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God). Then, I heard loud voices of many people screaming my name. Thereafter, I heard a voice saying: ‘Prophet Mohammed is here!” “I looked and it was the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him). He waved to the angel, ordering him to stop. Then, the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him) grabbed my right sleeve pulling me upwards as if he was helping me to stand up, and told me: “Your son Tamim saved you, he loves Allah and His Prophet.” “Then, the scene faded and I got better as you can see now”. She had never stopped crying as she was asking my brothers to follow what I follow i.e. to believe in the truth of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Massiah and Mahdi (Peace be upon Him), and embrace the Ahmadiyya community. Although she signed Bai’at long years ago, and she had believed in the truthfulness of Ahmadiyya ever since after she had seen a clear dream, but I think that Allah Almighty wanted to keep her faith firmer. She told all the people who had visited her about this vision, and

The Federal Government has issued fresh measures for the operations of mosques and churches. The chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, made this known in a statement on Monday. As part of the measures, the worship centers were asked not to exceed the 50 percent capacity of the facility of their venues. The PTF also said events with more than 50 persons should be held outdoor. Mustapha said the new measures had been approved by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country. He said, “The PTF has surveyed developments and actions taken by governments around the world, assessed our domestic environment, and has accordingly submitted its recommendations to Mr. President on immediate measures to be taken. “Accordingly, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has authorized the PTF to engage with the states and the FCT to assume full ownership of this stage of the response by deploying legal structures and resources, including enforcement to manage the pandemic within their jurisdiction In line with the authorization, the PTF wishes to issue the following advisories to sub-national entities for implementation over the next five weeks because these activities are considered super spreader events: “Limit All gatherings linked to religious events to less than 50% capacity of the facility of use during which physical distancing; mandatory use of face masks shall be strictly enforced; “Where more than 50 persons are attending, any such events, the gathering should be held outdoors only; close all bars, night clubs, pubs and event centers, and recreational venues; “Close all restaurants except those providing services to hotel residents; takeaways, home deliveries and drive-ins shall remain closed; restrict all informal and formal festivity events including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, end of year events shall be restricted to not more than 50 persons. “Public transportation systems are to carry passengers not more than 50 per cent of their capacity in compliance with social distancing rules. Enforce compliance with NPI protocols especially the advisory on wearing of face masks in public spaces.” REMARKS OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PTF FOR THE NATIONAL BRIEFING OF MONDAY, 21ST DECEMBER, 2020 ​I welcome you all to the National Briefing for Monday 21st December 2020 2.​ Over the past four briefings, the PTF has been raising the alert flag on the rising number of infections in the country and the possibility of a second wave arriving at our shores. ​Recent Epidemiology records confirm to the PTF that Nigeria is now facing a rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide which is similar to the second wave of infections occurring in other countries across the world. Particularly, Lagos, Kaduna, and the FCT have emerged as the new epicenters during this period, with over 70% of all confirmed cases. 4.​ Two major indicators highlight the current increase in cases and transmission across Nigeria. These are: Notwithstanding the fact that our testing numbers are fast approaching the peak recorded in July 2020, the number of cases being reported are disproportionately higher. For example, in the FCT, despite recording an increase of 85% in tests conducted over the last week, the number of confirmed cases increased by 285% during the same time period; and These trends point to a higher Test Positivity Rate (TPR- the number of positive cases detected as a proportion of all tests). The TPR was below 5% through September and October and we recorded a low point of 3% nationally in late October 2020. However, recent trends in cases have seen this number increase to 10% in the second week of December. These high numbers are further reflected in the increase of admissions to COVID-19 treatment centres and fatalities, particularly in the three epicenter states. 5.​ The result of the analysis carried out by the PTF further indicate that the current pattern of spread, and the surge is likely to be driven by the following factors: the lack of compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions – particularly the disregard for mask use in public, large gatherings as a result of events linked to the yuletide season and recent civil demonstrations. Further disregard for other public health preventive measures, such as hand hygiene and physical distance requirements; iii. The activities and assumptions of our youthful population which has resulted in an increase in the infection rate among young people, who are subsequently infecting older and more vulnerable family members. 6.​From our assessment, the current situation are clearly the consequences of certain occurrences and events of the last few weeks. These include: The sudden increase in social gatherings involving large congregations from different parts of the country, and the world, at events such as weddings, religious activities, political rallies, conferences and end of year celebrations; These events, classified globally as ‘supers-spreader events’, make the risk of a single infection causing a large outbreak among attendees significantly higher; iii. Furthermore, as we reopened the economy, we experienced increased economic, social and religious gatherings and activities all of which have combined to play a part in viral transmissions. These include: a) The opening of the international airspace in September 2020 – While the average number of daily imported infections into the country in the last 90 days is estimated to be about 7 cases, compared to 100-150 reported new infections in the community since the beginning of community transmission, the test positivity rate in travelers arriving Lagos has recently doubled to 6.3%; b) The resumption of schools – outbreaks have been reported in schools following the resumption of physical classes; c) The resumption of NYSC orientation camps – this risk has been mitigated by ensuring that all NY SC members were screened for COVID-19 prior to admission to camp, but confirmed cases have still been identified through tests carried out; d) The full opening of offices with the return to work of government workers from GL. 12 and below – outbreaks have also been reported

Taofeek Ajibade In the last few days, the attention of the Nigerian public has been drawn to the “Arabic” inscriptions on our Currency notes and the Nigerian Army insignia – and which the promoters mischievously interpreted as a subtle “Islamisation” of the country. One could be misled to think that the antagonists sincerely want a purely secular country, but, unfortunately, they are all silent on other inscriptions, epithets, and signs which are unarguably taken from Christian orientation! There is no arguing the fact that the religion of the colonialists is Christianity and, expectedly, they brought with them their language – English. They not only forced us to speak this language, but they also bequeathed the same to us by the time they were leaving the country. Why have we not moved a motion to discard a language that is originally associated with our colonizers who were all Christians, especially given the fact that not less than 50% of this population is Muslim? Today, we all speak English and even compete for the best grammatical proficiency without ever thinking it is not one of our extant native languages. Similar to this is the Cross sign in our hospitals. Why have we not yanked off the Cross sign which symbolizes healthcare because we are not all Christians, while the cross signifies Christianity? Why do we think this argument is not sustainable? The sign in itself has nothing to do with our healthcare – any other sign would be just as fine. But we all feel it is no sound idea to consider replacing it for its religious significance. By the way, many do not know that the purported Arabic writing on our currency note is simply a combination of the Arabic transliteration of the English word “Naira” and the Hausa word for “thousand”? Odds are that an Arab not familiar with the name of our currency would not understand its meaning, though he would read it quite well. It is like using Igbo orthography to transliterate “Naira” combined with the Yoruba word for “thousand” in the same Igbo orthography. It’s simply no more than this. Why any fair-minded person would think it is sacrilegious to allow for this beats my imagination, especially considering that English itself was brought by an exclusive class of Christians. The only truly Arabic word there is in our system is that written on the Nigerian Army logo. Coincidentally, this logo is complemented with the Stars of David. Though the designer had a different but commendable concept for using both the Arabic word and the Star of David which is historically devoid of religious bigotry or equalization, we have today murdered his good and patriotic intention on the altar of religious chauvinism and hypocrisy. May I add that while the Arabic language does not even represent Islam – Arabic had existed long before Islam and is not exclusively for Muslims – the Stars of David is exclusively associated with Christiandom. Dear compatriots, it is important we rid ourselves of religious bigotry and join hands to fight bad governance which is the bane of our progress. We have got much more important concerns at hand than these pedestrian squabbles. Nation-building is a lifetime project. Tyranny has neither religion nor ethnicity. The consequences of corruption do not discriminate between the rich and the poor, as well as between the religious and atheists. Is anyone other than the ruling class buying fuel for free? Is anyone paying less for electricity? Just recently, the Governor of Kogi State spoke of hiring a consultant to tax every loaf of bread sold in the state! Prices are daily going up while the wage rate remains stagnant. We all share the pains and suffer the same consequences. Even those who think themselves untouchable today will tomorrow join the growing list of oppressed masses and be subjected to similar torments, even if it is in small measure. Who is not aware that many years after leaving office as Head of State of this country, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari – the current President – while still contesting as a civilian, was not allowed to hold a rally, had his convoy shot, and was also teargassed? He also had to take to the streets to protest the same fuel price hike he has today taken to a whole new level. That is how far a dysfunctional system can affect anyone indiscriminately. That is why we all have a primary responsibility to work together for good governance and a society free from impunity, nepotism, and mediocrity which have all now become the order of the day. If we have a system that is working, no one would have to worry about religion. Religion is not our problem; religious adherents are. Those who loot this country have neither religion nor ethnicity as the basis. They will always unite to keep the masses preoccupied with, and divided on, frivolities so that they may continue and get away with their corruption and impunity.