DEBATING THE YOUNGEST COMMISSIONER
DEBATING THE YOUNGEST COMMISSIONER
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
November 2, 2019
nurudeendauda24@gmail.com
nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com
nurudeendauda.blogdpot.com
It is pertinent to "debate" whether "leadership" is about one's "age" or "competence". Miss Kolo a commissioner designate from Kwara state is set to take over from Oyo State’s 27-year-old Oluwaseun Fakorede who is currently the youngest commissioner in Nigeria.
It is apt to make some clarifications in the first place. I have never known Miss Kolo and have nothing whatsoever against her, but my intention as a writer is only to "provoke a public debate" in order to discuss between "competence" and "age" which way forward for leadership position . Some Nigerians thought the best way is to have young people in leadership position while others thought the opposite. Please come with me!
However, on Miss Kolo's nomination, if her nomination is on the basis of her capacity or capability or competence and or integrity and or all and not her age alone, one will say is a welcome development and have no option than to say a very big congratulation to her.
In my view , the quest for credible leadership should go beyond one's age alone , for me, it should be about one's capacity or capability or competency or patriotism and or integrity and or all . In addition, I am a believer of the combination of both the young and the old for leadership position, but not on the basis of one's age per se, but on the basis of the above qualities.The society will surely benefit from the youthful exuberance of a competent young leader just as it will benefit from the experience and maturity of a competent experienced leader.
A young leader needs the "experience" and the "maturity" of an"aged" leader while an "aged" leader needs the youthful "exuberance "of a young leader . The mixture of the two classes is the best way to go. It will enable the "old" to "mentor" and "tutor "the youths while the youthful energy of the youth will add value to governance . In the past we had people below the age of 25 as ministers. Late (Dr) Ambassador Maitama Sule, Danmasanin Kano was a minister at 24.
Nigeria by its history has always been governed by relatively young people. If there are setting categories of ages to blame for its leadership failure then the young people will take a fair share of it. With the exception of Presidents Obasanjo and Buhari in their second comings all our presidents past held leadership position at below 60 years.
Sir Abubakar Prime minister at the age of 49, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ceremonial President at 51, General Ironsi at 42, General Gowon at 32, General Murtala at 37, General Obasanjo at 38, President Shagari at 54, General Buhari at 41, General Babangida at 44, Chief Shokekan at 55, General Abacha at 49, General Abubakar at 56, President Obasanjo at 62, President Yar'adua at 56, President Jonathan at 53 and President Buhari at 73.
May God bless Nigeria!
[5/15, 2:22 PM] nurudeendauda24: 24YRS AFTER: POLITICAL IDEOLOGY STILL A MISSING LINK
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
May 29,2023
nurudeendauda24@gmail. com
nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com
nurudeendauda.blogspot.com
May 29 of every year is now our handover day as against Democracy Day which began from the year 2000. June 12 of every year is now our new democracy day. However, it is sad to note that, 24 years after, our political parties have neither Ideology nor clear cut differences. Our political parties are more or less platforms for capturing political power no more no less. Their funding mechanisms are still largely from the "state Resources" instead of from individual membership contributions . Our political parties do not have a clear cut dichotomy in terms of Socio-economic outlooks or programmes.
In my observation, the absence of political party formations based on Ideology is a major set back in our democracy. In advance democracies political parties are ideologically based. People with similar ideology often team up to form a political party in order to promote their politico-economic ideology . They often seek for like minds as their members and or supporters. Members of a political party are supposed to be people who share similar political and or economic ideology.
In simple term, a political ideology could be defined as a set of doctrines or beliefs that are shared by members of a social group which forms the basis for political or economic views. More so, a political ideology is a coherent set of views on politics and what should be the role of government in the state.
Their are two major political ideologies which are : Right-wing, and Left-wing political ideologies. Right Wing political parties favour liberal socio-economic policies with capitalist economic model. On the other hand, the left wing political parties favour centrally planned socio-economic policies with socialists economic model.You can never divorce or detach politics from the economy. You have to stabilize the economy for you to stabilize the Polity.
In my thought, part of the reason for widespread "defections" from one political party to another among our politicians, especially, from the main opposition PDP to the ruling APC and vice versa is lack of political ideology. Politicians only seek for platforms to pursue their political ambitions. In Nigeria one can safely say politicians only join parties in order to have political platforms for contesting elective offices not because they share similar political or economic Ideology. Afterall all the parties have no clear cut differences ideologically. As long as the situation remains defections from one political party to another will remain a permanent feature in our political system.
In my thought, if our political parties are formed based on political ideology the issue of defection from one party to another will reduce drastically. We need political parties formation based on certain politico-economic ideology. Having political parties and their support based on ideology will lead to having members with principles, discipline, commitment, hard- work, sacrifice, and focus where changing parties like changing clothes will be practically impossible or drastically reduce.
For us to get it right, we should and or must discourage politicians from seeking for political power by all means and or through political parties defections. Our politicians should and or must build their parties' support based on certain political ideology.
For us to get it right, our parties must be ideologically based and our political parties should and or must begin to galvanize their support based through the promotion of a particular Politico-economic ideology not regional or ethnic consideration. Our electorate should and or must be educated towards supporting political leaders based on their Politico-economic Ideologies not regional or ethnic consideration.
May God bless Nigeria!
[5/17, 8:46 PM] nurudeendauda24: AS-SALAM GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
October 11th , 2020
nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com
nurudeendauda24@gmail.com
Today being the 11th day of October, 2020 which is equivalent to the 23rd day of Safar 1442 after the Hijira of our noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Makka to Madina an important milestone has been achieved by Jama'at Izalatil Bid'a Wa Iqmatus Sunnah, JIBWIS, under the National Chairmanship of Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau with a foundation laying of a private University in Hadejia, Jigawa State.
It is with the greatest sense of Joy that I got this news. This is a right step in the right direction. Better late than never! May the Almighty Allah make this great vision a reality and may He bless this great movement.
However, It is very worrisome to note that, JIBWIS as an organization is still factionalized despite previous efforts by late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi of blessed memory , Sheikh (Dr) Ahmad Gumi and others to reunite it. It is apt to state that It had once got reunited, but unfortunately it later got factionalized again. This is very sad!
Our Sheikhs need not to be informed about the importance of unity in Islam. Unity is strength, united we stand and divided we fall. The most Important thing left for the two factions of this great movement now is to close their ranks once again and get reunited for greater achievements ahead . The Almighty Allah says : "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided..." (Qur'an 3:103).
We shall continue to pray for JIBWIS to actualize it vision. I have in my article of 28/03/2017 tittled: "Baze University Abuja a private University to establish a teaching Hospital: Northern Richmen should take a cue from Senator Baba -Ahmad". In the said write ups I called on Jama'atu Nasaral Islam, JNI, and JIBWIS, etc., to establish Universities in order to educate the society as well as assist their respective organizations in generating funds for their activities.
Permit me to digress a bit, "...Out of the 75 private universities in the country, only fifteen (15) are located in the North. There are 12 in North -Central, 2 in the North -East and now 2 in the North-West Zone .The South -West Zone alone has about 30 private universities", Executive Secretary, of NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed (Daily Trust, July 4, 2018).
More so, It is sad to note that, out of the current 79 private universities in the country only three are from the North West Geo-Political zone; namely: Al-Qalam University, Katsina (a community owned) ,Skyline University, Kano (a foreign privately owned) and Greenfield University, Kaduna (a southern Nigerian privately owned) despite its huge population, richmen and the seven states of : Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
On the other hand, It is worthy of note to state that there are other privately owned proposed universities in the North West zone on the way ; namely : Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila, Kano; Azman University, Kano and NOK University, Kachia, Kaduna.
However, the Late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi was not a member of JIBWIS, but he was the teacher and spiritual guide to the Sheikhs who formed the organization. In his Biography called, "Where I Stand" he stated that : Jama'at Izalatil Bid'a Wa Iqamatus Sunnah, JIBWIS, (Movement Against Negative Innovations and for Orthodoxy) was founded in Jos, Plateau state on the 8th of February, 1978 by late Sheikhs Ismaila Idris, Jos, (a retired Army Imam) and Bala Sirajo. He added that they initially proposed its name as "Jama't Izalatil Bid'a", but he suggested the addition of "Wa Iqamatus Sunnah"(P. 155).
At the inception the objectives of JIBWIS include:
(1) To promote the fundamental teachings of Islam as laid down in the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith of the Holy Prophet (SAW),
(2) To revive in the minds of the followers of the Islamic religion the actual duties of true Muslims as are required of them by the Almighty God, (3) To disassociate ourselves from any claims that anybody within the context of Islam has received any further revelations from the Almighty God after the Holy Prophet's death; or that the Prophet has left anything secretly unrevealed only to re -appear again after centuries and make certain revelations of his message to a few selected people, or that he has passed any directives to anyone after his death,
(4) That the Holy Prophet has fully accomplished his mission to the world, as has been confirmed to us by the Almighty Allah in the Holy Qur'an, and that only those teachings as are contained in the mission are worth our while to follow, (5) To establish in the minds of all true Muslims that anybody who claims or worships in the belief that he has any communications with the Holy Prophet, or that the Holy Prophet can pay anyone a visit, physically, after the Holy Prophet's death, that person has denounced the Holy Qur'an and is, therefore, discarded by Islam unless he or she repents whole -heartedly,
(6) To re-affirm that anything new or additional to, or against the five basic principles of Islam should not be accepted by Muslims because it is non-Islamic, (7) To establish and promote a better and closer understanding among Muslims of all walks of life and in all parts of the country, and to unite them as required by the all-divine faith of Islam, and (8) That we are determined to guard these principles at all costs without any options for compromise".(Where I stand, P. 156).
May the Almighty Allah be pleased with the late Sheikhs Abubakar Mahmud Gumi; Ismaila Idris Zakariya, Jos; Bala Sirajo and all those who contributed their quotas towards the formation and development of the movement.
May the Almighty Allah reunite the two factions of this great movement. Ameen!