Category: Opinion

Special Report Made By Alhazan Abiodun Rilwan

The news broke on the 17th January, 2022, as two people were proclaimed dead from the outbreak of Lassa Fever at the Gaa Agbaruru, a farming village at Iwere-Ile, Iwajowa local government of Oyo State.

So many were already admitted at the general hospital at Iganna, the neighboring community, where the efforts of the medical workers were already at the thinning end.

The Oyo State government, under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde, swung into action and established a committee of experts in the health, education, social and other aspects of life to restore normalcy to the affected community; this was important because of the number of cases of those already down with the fever and the panic raised afterward, which led to pupils of the only school in the village, Agbaruru, Gaa Agbaruru Community Basic School, Agbaruru, Iwere-Ile, fleeing.

Among the members of the committee set up by Engr. Seyi Makinde in January of 2022 to support the Dr. Bode Ladipo’s Ministry of Health and other intervening agencies was the Oyo State Community and Social Development Agency (OYCSDA), which was represented by its General Manager, Mr. Jelili Salau.

The purpose of the OYCSDA at the crucial moment was to bring forth infrastructural interventions to the people of the community and find further support for the dwellers to nip such outbreaks in the bud in the future.

OYCSDA swing into action immediately the tide of the contagious disease abated and constructed a standard Health Center and a motorized borehole which was to cater for the provision of portable water and avert spread of diseases through intake of contaminated river water.

The agency went further by providing psychosocial materials for the pupils of the primary school, an effort that led to the return of all the pupils that had earlier fled the community and drew many others to the school from neighboring villages.

Among the materials provided as intervention to Gaa Agbaruru Community Basic School, Agbaruru, Iwere-Ile are teaching aids, recreational facilities, exercise books, to mention but few.

According to the General Manager, OYCSDA, Mr Jelili Salau, “we are very proud today to tell you that the intervention at Agbaruru community has yielded immense results for the people of the community, for the first time, the community had a health center with a standard motorized borehole which has made access to healthcare easy to the people of the community and those in neighboring communities as well.

“The intervention, with the blessing of the Governor, also saw our agency providing psychosocial support to the Community Basic School, Agbaruru, Iwere-Ile, where our team of experts in the field gave the teachers and parents soul-lifting talks about the need to encourage the pupils are brought back to school to safeguard their futures.

“To this end, material supports were provided, among which are teaching aids, recreational facilities and exercise books, these we believe would ease the work of teachers and encourage good learning environment for the students as well.

“On our recent visit to the school has shown a prosperous development in the school as all the pupils that fled during the Lassa Fever outbreak last year have returned and others who have seen the swings and other recreational facilities that were provided have left other schools to join the school at Agbaruru.”

The Headteacher of Community Basic School, Agbaruru, Iwere-Ile, Mr Johnson Olatunde Oyeleye could not hide his joy when he spoke with the team that was at the school on inspection, as he appreciated the Seyi Makinde-led Government and OYCSDA for the intervention which he said has restored the confidence of the pupils in education.

“We thought all hopes were lost when the Lassa fever outbreak happened and our pupils were no more coming to school, I could not blame them, the parents feared for their children not to be infected, some people were reported to have died but with the intervention of the State government, the alarm was contained, today our people in the community have access to portable water and a health center.

“Our school is one of the best in the local government today because of the provision of psychosocial materials and facilities to the school, our students almost are rather to come to school during the weekend just to play among themselves with the swing and other facilities donated by the OYCSDA, we are grateful,” he said.

OYCSDA gave the support under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Oyo Programme 2022 Micro Project, with support from the Oyo State government, the World Bank and the Federal Government.

Alhazan Abiodun Rilwan is the Project Public Relations Officer (Project PRO), OYCSDA

MAGODO ESTATE RESIDENTS MUST VACATE THEIR ILLEGALLY ACQUIRED LAND. IT IS THE ONLY WAY OUT

By: Celestine Mel

The false narrative in social media regarding the police action in Magodo Estate Lagos confirms that indeed, the media can be truly manipulated to mobilize citizens against authorities especially by those who have the means and the power to do so. The insinuation that the police were in Lagos illegally or that the scene wherein Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu personally went to question the presence of policemen in Magodo Estate in negation of his role as the CSO of Lagos State, and a confirmation that indeed the Nigerian structure is defective, does not apply itself to the facts of the matter. It’s a matter I have taken time to research on, and I dare say, the Governor of Lagos is an interested party in the entire shameful display of lawlessness in Magodo.

By obstructing the police from executing a valid order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, it is clear that the big web of conspiracy to hinder law enforcement from carrying out its job, would never give up until the last blood is drawn. It is the height of our collective descend into anarchy.

This is what I know of the matter and why I made the statement above.

A military governor in the 1980s forcefully and deceitfullly evicted lawful residents and land owners in the magodo area of Lagos from their ancestral lands under the cover of public interest, claiming that government wanted to build an international hospital in the land. No compensation was paid. The victims watched helplessly as the government instead converted the land to an housing estate, shared among friends and families of their cronies and elites. The victims approached the court to seek redress. The court issued an injunction to stop all parties from further development of the land during the pendency of the matter. Lagos State government then (as usual) ignored the injunction. Development of the land into Magodo estate continued. Until the matter was finally settled by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2012.

In the final judgement, the Supreme court restored the rights of the Magodo Landlords Association over the land and awarded cost against the Lagos State Government. It also directed the litigants to repossess their land.

This judgement of the Supreme Court was ignored by Lagos State and the illegal occupants of the estate continued to stay. The landlords association, unable to execute the court directive, went back to ask for help from the Supreme Court. Rather than obey the last court in the land, Lagos State similarly further went to a High Court to initiate another process to stop the execution of the order of the Supreme Court. The government went further to invite the judgement creditors for a negotiated settlement. It offered them replacement land in Epe LGA. The creditors refused the offer and insisted that the order of the Supreme Court should be obeyed and Magodo should be vacated. Lagos refused to give effect to the judgement . There was a stalemate.

At the Supreme Court The litigants further approached the Supreme Court the IGP wsd directed to enforce the judgement to enable the litigants repossess their land.

Above is the reason policemen were mobilized from force hq Abuja to accompany the judgement creditors to repossess their land in Magodo. On getting there, the occupants of the property who by the Court order are presently deemed as illegal occupants, staged a firece resistance against the police. They barricaded the estate, mobilized themselves into a strong army to resist attempts by the police to enforce an order of the Supreme Court. They have feigned victims and are using all sorts of tactics to stall the execution of the order. We have to note that the same residents previously used their connection within the society and government at different levels to stall the execution of the Court order from 2012 to date.

And if I may ask, what sort of country would we have if a judgement of the Supreme Court – the highest court in the land, cannot be executed because powerful people are involved? Between the illegal occupants and the restored owners of the property, who shoukd indeed cry of being wrongly treated? Did we take a look at that old blind man yesterday? He must have been lucky to be alive. Others I learnt have died seeking justice over the Magodo matter. The police is absolutely right to have gone to that place to give teeth to the order of the highest court in the land. Unfortunately, those who illegally coveted the land are the ones crying victim today while the police which is doing its job is being hounded.

The only remedy available to the Lagis State Government is to relocate the illegal occupants of the estate to another place so that the judgement creditors may take their rightful property. All the theatrics and rigmaroles including seeking injunction in a high court and inviting parties to settlement is diversionary. It is an exercise in futility. The judgement of the Supreme Court MUST be enforced to the fullest at a heavy cost to those who created the mess.

The Magodo matter should be a lesson for those who believe in absolute power. There comes a time when Daniel would come to judgement. That time is now for the hapless citizens who invested billions in the illegality called Magodo Estate.

This has nothing to do with the structure of Nigeria. Don’t fall for that propaganda.

Comrade Lekan Badmus is a Columnist with Oduduwa News and Public Opinion Analyst.

Politics to a lay man, is a game of number. The lay man may not be wrong by virtue of his level of understanding of the word politics. To him, the party with the highest number of votes during an election wins the race and whatever that is cast at the polling booth is all that matters. This is a myopic view. In politics, the more you look, the less you see !

Elections in Nigeria is much more than voting. Rather, it is filed with pre-primary intrigues, manipulation, maneuvering, betrayals, compromise and sacrifice. I was once a full-term staff of the moribund National Electoral Commission, NEC, Lagos Island. That puts me at a vantage position and an ample knowledge of the scenes beneath the masquerade garb.

The recent announcement by PDP NEC that the party has ceded her Chairmanship position to the north was received with so much elation by party faithfuls in the south. The ecstasy is understandable.

In retrospect, there have been several calls for the party to zone her national chairmanship slot to the north with the belief that; by so doing, the presidential ticket would be sorted out by party men from the south. This is in line with the principle of rotation within the party. Although, this is not grounded in the nation’s constitition but it is not a misnomer. After all, democracy could be defined in tandem with the peculiarity of each sovereign nation.

I have read few reports and opinions about the so-called zoning; many of which agreed with the decision, with a particular emphasis and harping on the technical knock-out on Alhaji Atiku. In the views of some of these erudite opinionists, Alhaji Atiku stands no chance to clinch the presidential ticket again. The submissions of these opinions stem from the fact that, once the national Chairman comes from a region, the presidential candidate would not be picked from the same region.

Periscoping the zoning proposal by the NEC of the party, I can smell a rat. I have a reservation for that resolution. The decision to me; was warped in deceit.

Of truth, the southern governors recently met and requested that the next president should be a southern extraction but their northern brothers have insisted that the electorates should decide. Therefore, the decision as agreed upon at NEC level was a victory for the southern presidential candidate agitators.

However, the resolution of the governors is only a suggestion to the zoning committee of the national convention. The main convention where a replacement would be picked for Uche Secondus, would hold on October 30 and 31 in Abuja. Therefore, the Southern governors need to hold their popping of champagne at least till the end of the convention. Or succinctly put, till the selection of the presidential flagbearer. How do I mean !

The body language of the the north across the two major political parties is not suggestive of their readiness to allow power shift. Really, power is intoxicating but at the same time, transcient.

In an interview granted by
Professor Umar who is the National Secretary of Fulani Development Association of Nigeria, FDAN, the erudite scholar posited that power could only be won and not derived through blackmail or intimidation. This is a figment of my apprehension to the pyrrhic victory of the southern governors. The statement of the professor is a representation of the general stance of the north.

The position of the party chairman is crucial to the nomination of the presidential flagbearer. To say that the north has willingly succumbed to the agitation of the south in ceding national Chairman to the north needs a second thought. In my opinion, the north might want to use the occupant of the position of chairman to install the presidential candidate of northern origin with the plan that the chairman would relinquish his position for the south in a bid to balance the equation. This is not impossible. The zoning, as agreed upon by the governors may be a decoy and a bait.

The communique that emanated from the meeting of the substantive zoning committee under the chairmanship of
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State was highly pregnated with secrecy, deceit and decoy which confirmed my apprehension especially with regards to the first three statements of the communique as presented hereunder:

1. The National Zoning Committee of the PDP was given the mandate to zone National offices to be contested by all PDP Members of the Party at the PDP National Convention of the Party scheduled for October by the National Executive Committee of the Party.
2. That the mandate of the Committee does not include Zoning of the offices of the President, Vice President and other Executive and Legislative offices of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
   And the decision of the Committee to zone the Party offices does not in any way affect the executive and legislative offices in Nigeria.
3. That zoning of offices on PDP has traditionally been between the North and South of Nigeria.

From the above, there is nothing suggestive of any blanket ban on Alhaji Atiku or any other northern politician to vie for the presidential ticket of the party. The zoning is limited to party offices. There is a line of demarcation between Party Officials and Presidential or Legislative Representatives.

As it is, the zoning holds no water and the ticket is open. The party flagbearer might come from any region depending on the pedigree, astuteness, doggedness and above all, cash at disposal.

For Comments:
lekanbadmuscolumn@gmail.com

That you have been reappointed as a commissioner by Governor Seyi Makinde is a good news in the ears of many. I must congratulate you on this new feat.

I sincerely join your admirers and yourself in celebrating this golden opportunity of yours to serve in this governmnent for another period of 2 years.

Your good relationship with the Governor, and of course, his people has made this possible.

Hon. Fakorede, the news of the decision of Engr. Seyi Makinde on August 27, 2019 to appoint the youngest Commissioner in his cabinet in the history of the country made everyone be like a dog with two tails.

That the personality behind the youngest Commissioner in Nigeria is from Ibarapa was indeed music to the ears of the people of the region.

Your acceptance by everyone brought a media war against some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from your Constituency who had gone to protest at the state House of Assembly in apparent disapproval of your appointment.

Many of us took to the social media too to lampoon the show of shame displayed by them because our very own, Seun Fakorede, had come to stay.

Your appointment caused some acrimony between a number of youths and old politicians in the region. The controversy ochestrated by conservative minded politicians was sternly repelled by some intellectuals who believed that your emergence as commissioner was a welcome development.

Despite having been reduced to a hoax by the political class, the much talked about “not too young to rule” law had found its place, at least, in Governor Makinde’s heart. This is the belief of a section of the public, in sharp contrast with the ill-conceited protests that enveloped your first appointment.

The reason behind the unnoticed support behind you then was not farfetched. Ibarapa region is a paradigm of a forgotten land. A region whose leaders relish in failure – dilapidated roads and school buildings, dry pipe boreholes and worst still, age-long blackout.

Notwithstanding the fact that the youths are in the majority, politicians come every four years to share money during elections and leave them in the lurch after their electoral victory/loss till another election period.

Many people, both within and outside the political shore, believed that a Seun Fakorede as Commissioner is tantamount to opening the eyes of the youth in the region thereby ending the age-long criminal political enterprise being perpetrated by the political gladiators in the region. That, in reality, is correct.

They were of the opinion that a Seun Fakorede as Commissioner would spearhead a youth driven initiative in the region with a view to transmogrifying and liberating the youth from these carpetbaggers and champagne socialists parading themselves as politicians in the region.

They argued that a Seun Fakorede would give hope to both the primary and secondary school pupils in the region while discharging his duty as Oyo Commissioner. After all, his boss, Makinde had promised an all inclusive governmnent.

However, as a motivational speaker that you had been before being appointed, one would believe Hon. Fakorede would, at least, once in 5-month out of his own volition look back and visit some of the primary and secondary schools in the region, enlighten them, restore their belief in education and encourage them that their background does not mean to put their back on the ground.

Their hopes as far as your first emergence in office were dashed as the commissioner’s doors were slammed against every form of intellectuality.

Expectedly, the urgent 5k benefited as usual, (awon aje senu foro) were on top gear all through.

I was discussing with one of the intellectual minds in the region recently. The discussion hinged on the leadership failure that Ibarapa had faced over the years and the way forward.

The young man shared a story of Alhaji (Engr) Shuaib Gbadegesin Gbadamosi, who was a 5-time commissioner in the region. He was said to be the longest serving commissioner in Oyo State. He hailed from Ayete, Ibarapa North Local Governmnent.

Engr Gbadamosi headed several portfolios in his lifetime which included: Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Land and Housing, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance.

We learnt that it was when Late Gbadamosi was at the Ministry of Road and Transport that he facilitated the construction of the tarred road that links Ibadan-Ibarapa, the road was said to be untarred prior to his appointment.

Gbadamosi, again, as the Commissioner for Agriculture facilitated the construction of Okugba Dam, Alabi.

Reports also had it that the same Gbadamosi brought Ayete Grammar School, Ayete, when he was Education Commissioner.

History will also not forget it that Gbadamosi brought Ayete, Igboora Microfinance Banks and some other banks in Ibarapa land as Finance Commissioner.

Engr Gbadamosi built Housing Estates in Ibarapa towns when he was at the Ministry of Land and Housing. Part of such estates was said to have been located in front of the Muslim Eid playing Ground, Ayete.

What the above suggests is that Gbadomosi brought significant development to Ibarapa when he held sway at various ministries as commissioner.

Dear Hon. Fakorede, while I believe that it is of no need to cry over a spilt milk, it is my strong belief that your second coming will be to build bridges and correct the mistakes of the past.

Our school pupils need you around for mentorship. Don’t you think to that direction that your words of advice and a group picture with these pupils may be a reason for many of them never to give up on their academic pursuits?

Use your good office to facilitate those good things that are capable of putting our region on the map.

Sports activities in the region were almost non-existent until some well-to-do individuals started funding the initiatives.

Many thanks to these individuals and groups who sponsor football games and other sporting activities across the region for the benefit of the youths.

You can reach out to them and support the initiative while you use your good office to support our young talented brothers and sisters in the region to maximise their potentials. I am sure this, as a matter of fact, is not impossible to do.

Your critics from your region are not your enemies. They are the people who are tired of the status-quo. They are not the type you see their account details in your DM. All they are after is development and a working Ibarapa.

Once again, I congratulate you on your reappointment and I wish you the very best in life.

Comrade Lekan Badmus is a Columnist with Oduduwa News, Public Opinion Analyst and Human Rights Crusader.

“.. running splash of rust,
and gold-flung and scattered,
among seven hills like,
broken china in the sun.”

The introductory poem above is crucial to this article. The poem, written by JP Clarke is an avid description of Ibadan. As expatiated by Winnie Ekwere , the poem is a quintet of running verse. The tone of the poem gives off as being off-handedly dramatic especially as the poet begins by citing the name ‘Ibadan’. He seems to criticize the look of the city by his description in the remaining four lines of the poem. Thus:

… running splash of rust and gold is used to describe the rusted zinc roof tops in Ibadan.

… scattered among seven hills alludes to the scattered and unplanned nature of the houses in the hilly city.

…like broken china in the sun paints an image in your mind of disorderliness.

and parts of broken china that are different but from the same piece.

The poem is more a sarcastic description of the town rather than what majority felt it is. Verily, a denotative interpretation of every line of the poem reveals the inner mindset of the erudite poet. Two things readily come to the mind of a stranger at the mention of Ibadan. Thuggery and Filth. As it was then, so it is now. Very filthy.The only period when the city wore a new look was during the era of late governor Ajimobi.

In the past, Gege – Olopa was famously known for indiscriminate dumping of refuse. That attitude earned the area a derogatory appellate of “Gege-Oloorun”. Incidentally, I am from the area; precisely, Ile Alagbaa, just behind Born Photo. Meanwhile, the entire city is not immuned from being referred to “Oloorun”. This article is not intended to denigrate the city but a conscious effort to awaken the consciousness of the indigenes, residents and government. We all have to be responsible and responsive.

It is quite unfortunate that Ibadan has returned to the old stinking city when offensive scent used to pervade the environments. Being the capital of Oyo State, one expects the entire areas to look decent as to depict its status but disgust is the word; when garbage heaps and dirts welcome one into the city. Instantaneously, one is tempted to ask; albeit soliloquisely, whether the government at state and local levels are on sabbatical. What a neglect of responsibility !

I was listening to a program on Agidigbo FM on a Sunday morning ( 19th September, 2021) anchored by the media Czar, Oriyomi Hamzat. A call was put through to Lagelu Local Government Chairman on the issue of refuse and flood in his area of jurisdiction. His response was a testament to the fact that the local governments are financially incapacitated to do anything meaningful. Whereas, issues like this are best solved by the councils.

I sincerely want to salute the courage and objective assessment of the situation by the media guru. He was not economical with the truth when he said that; “the fact that you are running a populist government does not forbid you from ignoring illegality.” This was an apparent response to government somewhat irresponsiveness to the current mess where refuse have littered every nook and cranny. “The late governor Ajimobi did well in the area of environmental hygiene with brute force; that did not prevent people from voting him for second term !.” Oriyomi fumed.

An examination of the menace of refuse and sewage disposal shows that government is her own problem. Those who are circumventing water ways, those erecting shanties and those who have become perpetual dumpers of refuse are not above the law. We do not need to make any further laws for; the existing extant laws are enough to prosecute the perpetrators. What really is the duty of the officials from ministry of environment ? How about the department of Urban Planning? Where are the Sanitary Inspectors? It is obvious that all what the government needs are at her disposal. The only thing lacking is political will.

State government cannot be everywhere. They are not an island. You need to loosen the rope on the neck of the councils so that they could function optimally.
CDAs and Local governments are suppose to do this but the refusal of the state to allow councils’ autonomy is not helping matter. Even, the officials of the ministries that are responsible for sanitation do compromise. Once they are financially induced, they pretend not to see anything. Urban planning department are also culpable. Sabotage everywhere.

In conclusion, the weekly sanitation exercise on every Thursday is a good way to tackle this peculiar mess only if the offenders are made to face the music. Government should also be ready to step on toes. The motor parks and market traders within the city are contributory factors to the dirty environments. All these activities should be banned.
It is laughable and disgusting that the traders and commuters have always ignored government directives on vacation order. What a ridicule ! It takes political will to enforce an order. Prevention is better than cure. Let all us do the right thing to avoid epidemic.

lekanbadmuscolumn@gmail.com.

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on Friday described the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) by state governments as a settled deal.

He believes those resisting the collection of VAT by states in place of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) would fail, despite the court order directing parties in the dispute to maintain status quo pending the determination of the suit before it.

“Our (the states’) position is that having looked at the law, it is there clearly for us to see that taxation, or what we call consumption taxes, falls within the purview of a state, and only a state can charge consumption taxes,” said the governor who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“And I believe that those who are against it know of it. If they don’t know, people will not be rushing to the National Assembly for an amendment that will not see the light of the day; it will be dead on arrival.”

Governor Akeredolu spoke a day after he presided over a meeting of the southern governors – as the chairman of the forum – in Enugu State.

At the meeting held on Thursday, the governors reviewed the state of the nation and the progress of implementation of the decisions reached in the previous sittings of the forum.

They reaffirmed their commitment to fiscal federalism and resolved to support the position that the collection of VAT was within the powers of the states.

Giving further updates on the meeting, Governor Akeredolu explained that the resolution of the forum regarding the collection of VAT was not a new position.

“What we did yesterday was to go back to our position in the Asaba Declaration,” he said. “In Asaba, we made it very clear without mincing words that we are committed to the practice of true federalism; that is all we are saying, and fiscal federalism is part of true federalism.

“So, there is no need for us to run away from it. There are many more states that will join and there are some that will not join because at the end of the day, whatever we arrive at, they will be binding on all the states and what the southern governors have resolved is not new.”

It is quite unfortunate that a country which offered so much in hope and possibilities for its citizens at independence has today become a land of suffering, insecurity and near hopelessness.

The attack on Nigeria Defense Academy (NDA) has further affirmed that the security architecture of the country has collapsed and no one is safe. Obviously, the virulent voices of discontent are everywhere signalling a break off this marriage of inconvenience called ‘Nigeria’. Or, where is the common identity where freedom of movement amongst citizens is without threats and fear in virtually all the parts of the country?

I see the attack on NDA as an affront, which was a deliberate attempt to ridicule Nigeria and the intelligence of the Nigeria security agencies.

The heinous activities of the so called Bandits is gradually taking another dimension and the government has shown to be irresponsible with their continued silence on their atrocities in killing, maiming and kidnapping on a daily basis.

At a point like this, I’m forced to resolved that Nigeria is not defined as a country by the lives of citizens, their safety and welfare but it is defined and counted as one as far as it can still generate IGR, take loans to give President Buhari and his fellow politicians the kind of lifestyle they want. Nigerians especially the large parts of northern have experienced so much in the hands of bandits and terrorists. They have made a lot of people orphans, destitutes and ruined a lot of businesses.

Dear President Muhammadu Buhari, time to act is now, because every proclamation of a technical victory over the insurgents is quickly followed by a resurgence. It is high time the government needs to treat this issue of banditry as an all-out war against the state and direct its security apparatus to completely decimate them and bring this to a close.

The days of treating this issue with kids gloves, where notable clerics go into the forest for photo ops with bandits and serve as their unofficial mouthpieces, should end. The President should order the Chief of Defense Staff to match military might and actions in getting to the root of this scourge.

We cannot, as a nation, sit and fold our arms as this bandits keep maiming and kidnapping the innocent souls on daily basis. Mr President and the Military Officer’s should approach this banditry scourge with the urgency that it requires, showing the Nigerian people that it is still alive to its primary responsibility as defined by the constitution, which is the protection of lives and property of it’s citizens.

The Major. General should speak the language they understand to them.

Adesina Julius (Prestige) write from Igbeti, Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.

By: Comrade Lekan Badmus.

Alm is defined as something given freely to the needy and the less – privileged. It is a charismatic gift to; not only the vulnerable but those in dire needs. Alm is an act of extending love to the others and it is something that must be given with lots of enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, giving alm in anticipation of returns is a negation of the spirit and tenets of alm. Alm is devoid of reciprocation. It is not a gesture that should be seen as trade by barter. The intent of alm is to bring succour and palliative to the poor.

In Islam, alm is the third of the five pillars of Islam. It is called ZAKAT. The other four are: Sahada ( absolute faith in the oneness and supremacy of Allah) Salat( prayer) Sawm(fasting during Ramadan) and Hajj( pilgrimage).

Zakat is accepted by Muslims globally irrespective of ethnic, regional or sectarian differences. It is charitable and considered obligatory. A Muslim does not need to be a millionaire before he could give alms.

The religious practice of Islam is based on the five pillars to which every Muslim should adhere. They are fundamental expression of Islam beliefs.

Armed on the other hand is a situation where people are equipped with weapons. A person who is armed is given an order to attack. This order may be warped in sinister or primordial motive.

Armed in the context of this article is not the legal security operatives who are constitutionally armed to defend the corporate existence of the nation and protect citizens lives and properties.

While ALM is humanitarian, ARMED is destructive. Alm signifies humane feeling but armed breeds chaos, anarchy and throws caution into the wind.

ISLAM is synonymous with PEACE.

However, peace seems to have eluded the nation. The incessant attacks and general insecurity in the land is worrisome. This has retarded the growth of individuals, corporate organizations and the nation. DisgustingIy, most of the crises plaguing the nation are orchestrated. However, it is un-Islamic for any Muslim to incite and instigate violence under whatever pretence. It is archaic and myopic to ascribe violence to JIHAD. The essence of JIHAD is for Muslims to be agents of desirable changes. We have got to be at the forefront of reorientation of values and virtues.

The Ileya festival has afforded us another opportunity to search our conscience and reconcile with Allah. To err is human. Every human being is infallible and an embodiment of woes cum inequities. We are not saints and so have to show remorse. Confess our sins and request for forgiveness with the mindset never to sin anymore.

Ileya should not be restricted to merriment. It calls for sober reflection and pensive mood.

None of us has the wherewithal to fight for God. In what capacity ? Have you removed the tick on your eyes before attempting to remove from others’ eyes! Who tells you are righteous!

Semi Allahu moni- hamida.

On a finality, every Muslim needs to respect the constituted authorities – our leaders. From the president to the governors and the Kings. We should be guided by Quranic injunctions. The leaders and followers have a great and complementary roles to play. Act well your part.

Islam does not forbid us from criticising the policies of the governnents but it has to be a constructive one. Our actions should not be channelled towards pulling any leader down. Our sense of reasoning and logic should not be blindfolded by politics and religious sentiment.

Government on the other hand should justify the confidence reposed in them by the voters. Fear of God should be your watchword. Your ascension to that coveated seat is not as a result of your political dexterity and sagacity. It is never by your wisdom.

Your Excellencies and Royal majesties, you are not qualified. God qualified you.

May Allah Continue to be our pathfinder and may peace and development in all ramifications sprout in the land.

Ma Salam !

Comrade Lekan Badmus is a freelance writer and public opinion analyst.