NBA And The Judges From Hell, By Usama Dandare

The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke

In a country where judges are widely accused of selling judgements and issuing blanket injunctions to the highest bidders, it wouldn't come as a surprise to hear that a cash sum of N360 million was found stashed in the private residence of three senior judges, following raids by men of the Department of State Service, DSS on the residences of seven judges of the Supreme, Federal and High Courts across the country. The three judges whose houses the said cash were found are Justices Adeniyi F.A. Ademola, Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta and John Inyang Okoro.

This unfortunate development came in the wake of another similar scenario which as a result, The National Judicial Council, NJC (the body responsible for exacting discipline among members of the bench in Nigeria) ordered an immediate dismissal of three fraudulent judges over cases of bribery and corruption - Justice A.I.U Mezuruike, the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya, a presiding justice at the Court of Appeal in Kwara State and Justice Kabiru Auta, a judge at the Kano State High Court respectively.

In this happiest moment in our nation history where the once mighty and untouchable lords are being fired and arrested over corrupt practices, some ignoramus and and enemies of national development are out wailing and crying wolf when there's non in support of these fraudulent judges, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to say the worse. However, from whichever angle one may like to look at it, the simply truth is that our judicial system has been thrown to the dogs with judges becoming foot soldiers of corrupt government officials and any criminal with loaded cash. Therefore, getting the system back to sanity should be the topmost  priority of any well meaning government, as such the latest arrest and dismissal of these judges came even too late especially under the stewardship of the incorruptible President Muhammadu Buhari.

  

Justice is supposed to be blind in treating all citizen equally irrespective of colour, kinship, status or religion but today in Nigeria, our justice system didn't only got eyes but eagle-eyes equipped with an infrared retina, not for detecting offenders but for detecting counterfeit US dollar bills. When one thinks of court, he think of justice but here in Nigeria, a court of law takes two different meaning: for the rich, it is a place where one can bribe his way out of any case being it criminal or civil, while to the poor, it is 'money for hand justice for ground' where the poor may never get justice no matter his innocence as long as he cannot afford to hire a lawyer who will mediate between him and the judge's chamber. This is the reason why you may never get your day in court once you belong to the over 120 million Nigerians living under the poverty line of $190 per day. And to the lucky ones who do actually get their day in court, their rights are being stepped on by judges willfully violating their oath of office. Justice is not being served in an astonishing number of cases, with contradicting verdicts leaving the public scratching their heads - and not because of dandruff. 

Accused of stealing bathroom slippers, you may be giving a three year jail term apart from another three years spent awaiting trial. But accused of squandering trillions of naira from public coffers, just apply for a million naira blanket injunction banning all security and anti-graft agencies from arresting or inviting you for life, be rest assured our judges would bow to your request since they will smile to the banks. Hence offenders in both the civil and criminal circuits repeatedly continue to be bold and arrogant in breaking the law, quite knowing they can buy off cases in court. This also explains why there are over 5000 thousand pending cases before the Nigerian supreme court only and thousands being held in various prison awaiting trial.

Sadly, the only people who really can expect justice in Nigerian courts are multi-millionaires and big corporations, else, nobody really matters to Nigerian judges and lawyers. There are monumental cases of bribery in our courts, perhaps even more than in the courts of any other country in the world, and nearly all bribes given to our judges came through lawyers, the rich and mighty pay huge amounts of money to lawyers, who then walk around with huge amount of cash in their jacket and quietly pass it to the judges in their chambers. To a point the plethora of bribery that lawyers and judges commit in broad daylight became blatantly glaring even to the blind, seeing judges living flamboyantly and being extremely friendly to their rich lawyer friends who pay big bribes. Little wonder why the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) became too furious with the federal government for taken it anti-corruption war to the judiciary. Indeed, birds of the same feather flock together.

It's really disappointing so to say disgusting to see senior lawyers and the worse NBA officials becoming tools of corruption and impunity by defending their corrupt colleagues on the bench, to a stage that the whole NBA President who is a Senior Advocate of Nigerian coming out public to condemn the arrest of gorilla judges and going further to refer to the arrest process as unlawful, despite the fact that the DSS were armed with tangible and adequate prosecutable informations with equally reliable, adequate and sufficient reasons to act. It is astonishing that the NBA President wanted men of the DSS to first of all approached the judges and obtain their arrest and search warrants from them, and later placed a telephone call informing them they were coming for their arrest.

I am of the opinion that the DSS have all the reasons to conduct the raids as they did believing that the targeted judges would flee or destroy the evidences of their alleged crimes if having prior informations before the raid, which was preceded by petitions of allegations of these judges accepting bribes and perverting justice. As such, the DSS acted within the scope of their statutory assignment, in line with modus operandi to conduct operations at particular hours to prevent the possibilities of flight, or escape by the suspect, and has to ensure that proceeds of crimes are not destroyed or taken out of the jurisdiction, including other reasons in line with their code of conduct which may have perhaps prompted them to act in the way and manner in which they acted.

What followed after the arrests and the plethora of evidences emanating from the raids has vindicated and exonerated the DSS from any act of witch-hunt or false accusations against the suspected judges, it is now glaring that these judges have benefited immensely from the scale of a monumental corruption that has threatened our collective existence as a nation. The shocking findings also gave credence to earlier suspicions that our corrupt judges have joined the ranks of their counterparts in public offices who are scared to deposit their ill-gotten money in commercial banks, as the Bank Verification Number regime has made it almost impossible to save certain amount of money undetected or bank by proxies which is habitual of almost all corrupt officials, hence they resorted to agglomerating stolen public funds in stores and under their beds or buried in soakaways at their homes or farms.

It is fascinating and at same disgraceful how our perceived learned lawyers have turned into wailers overnight, buying shame upon themselves and throwing the legal system in which they operate to the dogs, and at same failing to live beyond vested interest orchestrated by a sheer greed and love for quick riches. The NBA which ought to be the biggest umbrella of upholding justice and the rule of law have now metamorphosized into a tool of shielding criminals from the paws of the law. These lawyers and their colleagues on the bench were a couple of days back hailing and applauding the federal government for it ongoing crusade against corruption, they were all smiling to the banks in what looks like the season of their bumper harvest as corrupt government officials under trial were queuing in numbers at their chambers with cash and exotic cars. But now that the anti-corruption crusade has turned it radar against the judiciary, they are all wailing unnecessarily and threatening our justice system as a whole, hence putting the Nigerian project at risk.

In a nutshell, the NBA and every other person in their support should embrace the simple reality that it is no more business as usual, they should pass it on to each and every corrupt Nigerian they knew that there is a new sheriff in town and stealing is now corruption. They should desist from shielding criminals and perverting justice, they should instead encourage whoever feel to have been treated unfairly to seek justice in the court of law if truly they are the symbol of what they claimed to be, but their recent exhibition of irresponsibility and unprofessionalism have just portrayed the Nigerian Bar Association as the most dishonest, dangerous and crookest legal body in the history of man. They should all be ashame of themselves if they knew anything called shame, else, we (Nigerians) are collectively shame on their behalf.

Usama A. Dandare, a social commentator write from Sokoto. Reach him via osadaby@yahoo.com,  www.facebook.com/usama.dandareor twitter @osadaby

The Needless Forex Subsidy For Pilgrims, By Usama Dandare

7 August, 2016

With regard to federal government's decision of August 4, 2016, instructing Nigerian banks to provide forex to the country's intending Hajj pilgrims at N197 per Dollar. This follow after the government ordered similar forex reduction for Christian pilgrims going to Jerusalem at N160 per Dollar earlier this year. It's disgusting and bitter to comprehend that the Buhari Administration of all is meddling in measures that would not by any means make impact on the well-being of the ordinary citizens and which could portray the regime as one without focus nor priorities. It's also disturbing that at this critical moment of fiscal difficulties in our nation's history, a time when the country is heading into recession and a time when economic hardships bites harder, the government is going on with an unnecessary subsidy for less than a million pilgrims at the detriment of about 200 million citizens. This is one insensitivity that ought to have gone with the insensitive past regimes of corruption and recklessness. Basically, this decision should not have been taken by a government such as Buhari’s regime that wants Nigerians to seriously have faith in it much publicised promise of change.

This means muslims going on holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia this year would enjoy a lower exchange rate because of President Buhari's concession and of course, the same was enjoyed by Christian pilgrims that went to Israel some months back. The official exchange rate of the naira to dollar remain N319 while the rate hovered at the parallel market between N400 and above. This government's intervention to subsidise the exchange rate just for religious purposes is highly unacceptable and an affront to the secularity of the country as Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution declares that “the government of the federation or of a state shall not adopt any religion as state religion,” therefore any serious government would take off its hands in religious matters. As this decision only highlights government failure to understand the real issues of national importance on which it urgent intervention should be highly extended to, at a time the nation is faced with monumental economic crisis and a time when all efforts should be geared toward conserving foreign exchange and limiting government spending.

If there is one sector that need urgently presidential intervention is the power industry not pilgrimage. Nigeria is undoubtedly in it longest period of power shortage in history, which as a result the nation's epileptic industrial sector continue to fare very low and may lead to a massive job loss as many of these industries may shut down. Just of recent, the government of Nigeria placed a ban on the importation of several items to boost local manufacturing and protect the nation's currency and conserve foreign exchange. If the federal government could placed ban on importers whose businesses are of relevance to the nation economy, then it has no reason whatsoever to fund pilgrimage which has no relevance to either the people nor their country. President Buhari should have subsidise forex for local manufacturers to import equipments and materials for production instead of given it out to pilgrims.

On the religious aspect, pilgrimage is mandatory to only the financially able persons and no compulsion to those unable to conveniently finance their pilgrimage journey. I don't know of Christianity but islamically: before a person is considered ‘able’ to go to Hajj, he must afford to transport himself to and fro to Mecca. As well, he must worth an amount of wealth that exceeds his debts if any, (even if they are not due yet, or if they are pertaining to rights of Allah, such as an unpaid expiation or Zakah), he must also have appropriate lodging and clothing for himself, and must have and left at home what he is obligated to spend on those whom he must support (such as his wife, children, slaves, poor parents, and all those under his care) from the date of his departure until the day he will return. In this case, why would any government subsidise pilgrimage to anybody who is not financially fit to embark on such a religious journey? An intending pilgrim is religiously assumed to be ready for pilgrimage both mentally and financially, therefore, he is assumed to seek no financial assistance from anybody.

The way and manner in which our governments both past and present are meddling in religious matters is un-arguably inappropriate. Religion is and has always been a tool of division in Nigeria, and for the purpose of national unity, the government must at all times be mindful when indulging in religious matters within the society. Now that government has provided forex for Christians and Muslims pilgrims, what does the government have in plans for adherents of other religions to balance the score-sheet? Since the funds for these religious jamboree were sourced from public coffers belonging to all and sundry not only Muslims and Christians. Nigeria will only enjoy peace, unity, and religious tolerance only when religion is strictly considered a personal affair. Whoever wants to go for any religious practice should do so under his own care while public resources should be spent judiciously to touch the lives of all, but not in the form of a jamboree that will neither contribute to the development of the people, nor contribute in nation building. The effects of this pilgrimage subsidy is that it opened the door for state governments to replicate at the state and local government level, they would also follow suit the Federal Government in spending billions of naira to fund religious activities that add zero value to the development of the states. 

For President Buhari to get government meddling in religious matters that would only strengthen the economy of foreign nations, it's only logical if he begin to look at the possibility of scrapping the entire Christian and Muslim pilgrims’ boards, and make sure that his government distance itself from patronising religious tourism at the expense of the nation's economy. Even the Saudi and Israeli governments were dismayed at how Nigerians and their government are taken pilgrimage above all things unlike other countries in the world, a reason why Saudi authorities at a time tried to reduce the number of Nigerians going to Mecca by proposing a law that any Nigerian who had performed pilgrimage five times should not be allowed to go again, but the lack of cooperation they got from Nigerian authorities helped forced this proposal to collapsed. As a way of strengthening the trust and confidence in Nigerians that the present day leadership will deliver the change it promised, President Muhammadu Buhari should desist from using public wealth to fund religious activities. Instead, he should divert such billions to revitalise some critical sectors of the economy - job creation, power, infrastructure, and education to mention just a few. As only this would make Nigerians believe that the good governance for which they elected President Buhari for is well on track.

Usama A. Dandare, a social commentator write from Sokoto. Reach him via osadaby@yahoo.com,  www.facebook.com/usama.dandare or twitter @osadaby.

Of Sokoto State And The Bankanization Of Politics, By Usama Dandare

If Money can buy the whole world, there is indeed one thing in it that no amount of money can buy, and that is credibility. The credibility of our democracy as a whole has been diminished by the role money plays, although politics all over the world needs money, but its influence in the pursue of power has broken the fragile conscience of the ordinary Nigerian citizen. Prior to this era of reckless exhibition of corruption and impunity, politics in Nigeria was about revered name, credibility, merit and competence. I wasn't opportuned to witness the sweet post-colonial days but I have read about great leaders like Sarduna, Awolowo, Azikiwe, and those in their exclusive class. These men were not after material benefits and were not rich, but with a good reputation, credibility, and a selfish desire to free their people from the shackles of colonialism and imperialism, they were able to fought their out, and cast a spell on the British administrators. We wouldn't have been where we are today had it been we regain the virtues of these past heroes who created a desire for mutual benefit across board. Unfortunately, since the advent of the military rule and the subsequent introduction and reintroduction of democracy, Nigerians only witnessed a speedy declination in patriotism, equity and justice, and the seeds of corruption was sown and nurtured in the land with a strong emotional attachment to money. Corruption and impunity became the only tools one could use to secure appointment into public offices, our lives became stepping stones and ladders for satanic men to climb to the devilish height of plucking public wealth while their venomous appetite became insatiable.

This has been the case with with several Nigerian states for several decades now and Sokoto state is not an exemption. No one conversant with the political terrain in the Seat of the Caliphate will gainsay the fact that the success of any politician and as well as his ability to deliver good governance largely depends on the amount of money he is willing to throw up on the streets and what the electorate can get daily from the those in power. Unfortunately, this is how the people of Sokoto understood politics, thus transforming the Seat of the Caliphate into rubbles. This practice of money politics is perhaps habitual of almost all the politicians in the state, a leadership style they (politicians) and their foot soldiers regarded as a welfarist system that enables them relate closely with the people, in a deceit to boost their political popularity. No doubt, it works well for many, but, the present and future development of the state is unarguably at risk.

Notably, the arrowhead that catalysed the nurturing of this ugly trend is no other than the former Governor of the State, Senator Aliyu Magakarda Wamakko, who authoritatively glorified and sustained this ugly act throughout the lifetime of his administration as Deputy Governor from 1999 to 2006, his governorship days from 2007 to 2015, and still carried on without any sign of retardation: by assembling children that are supposed to be in school, unemployed youths and the old at his residence on a daily routine, with each group giving specific day in the week when they should gather to receive a token of between N200 and N500, when it is time, those whose turn it is for the day would assemble in their hundreds at his residence for their weekly pocket money. An act that engendered the lives of the poor masses to the act of begging, reaching a vexatious stage where even visitors are been constantly harassed on the streets by underage children, youths, and old men/women who repeatedly ask for money from every car owner and all neatly dressed people they came across.

Wamakko, obviously violated his party’s manifesto and watered this ugly trend of sharing money to the masses just to fulfil his political desires and score some cheap political points. In return, the state's growth and development suffered, and unemployment rose to it highest maximum. With this act being practiced in the state for almost two decade now, one needs no soothsayer to understand why Sokoto State - despite its ancient history, resources and all its influence in political making of this nation - has been topping the table of the states with the highest level of poverty in the country and one of the states with the highest rate of illiteracy in Nigeria. There is less or no empowerment opportunities in the state, no industries, joblessness on the rise, but unfortunately, Wamakko never realised the need to empower the youths and create employment opportunities. Instead, he opted to be sharing to the people, the funds meant to upgrade their lives economically. More vexatious, the former governor now Senator Wamakko is confidently going on with this practice and his sympathisers keep hailing him for the gesture. What a pity!

With Wamakko's victory in the March 28, 2015 senatorial elections and his subsequent relocation to Abuja, we thought this anti-people practice will decrease to its minimal. But unfortunately, the State's Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, a political underdog and Wamakko's political godson is going on with this irresponsible tradition of his godfather. Regrettably, Ahmed Aliyu, is now carrying on where Wamakko stopped - always wielding his lilliputian intellect to swindle us of our right to decent living, by spraying his ill-gotten wealth on the streets, during official/unofficial functions, political gatherings and even at burials places - just to lumbar his way into the heart of the electorates and commit a monumental rape on their hard earned wealth. Obviously, the political atmosphere in Sokoto is witnessing another Alu in the making.

It is disgusting, disastrous, and lethal to see a state with huge potentials lacking behind in all developmental indices. But notwithstanding, the current administration of Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal can do well by empowering the youth with skills rather than sustaining the practice of wasting the money meant to provide practical skills for the youths to enable them build a better future through self employment and encourage less dependence on the part of the people on politicians and the government for survival. This is indeed the time for Governor Tambuwal to exploit all opportunities in Sokoto state and tackle the numerous challenges presented by modern realities. Such as unemployment and the growing number of idle youths, the long ignored old men and women who have turned the practice of “maulla" [a form of aggressive, area-boys begging process] into a normal culture. It's also the time for Tambuwal to sufficiently withstand the pressure from local politicians and the ordinary people to practice the “stomach infrastructure” type of politics, as no true leader who has the interest of the people at heart will go about be sharing development funds to the people on the streets. He should strive hard to prove wrong the doubting thomases that he understands the problems and politics of Sokoto state very well and he's bold enough to do everything humanly possible to tackle these challenges, from where i and others alike will look forward to gauge his performances in office.

To bring an end to this ugly practice, Governor Tambuwal should through the state assembly pass a legislation prohibiting all acts of money abuse in and around the state, and at same time prescribe retributions for indulging in money abuse and other related offenses. The fight against corruption should be given more priority, all those displaying their ill-gotten wealth with pride should be brought to book and make to pay dearly for their actions. The poor living standard of the people which perhaps is the roots of all these practices should also be upgraded. Apart from raising the living standard of the people which is of paramount importance to any well meaning government, Governor Tambuwal should without further delay invest heavily in agriculture, education, industrialisation, youth and women empowerment, and as well as encourage small scale industries. To succeed, Tambuwal also needs to run a government driven by honesty, transparency and the desire for progress and development, and an open, all-inclusive administration and urge his opponents to join hands in rebuilding the state, for he alone cannot handle the very hectic task of surmounting the various challenges confronting the state in recent times. Despite the fact that Sokoto is been regarded as the most peaceful state in the country, still there is the need for Governor Tambuwal to sustain the long enjoyed peace and public order in the state, so that Sokoto will become the envy of others and lead in the comity of states.

Usama Dandare is a social commentator, he writes from Sokoto. Contact him via osadaby@yahoo.com or on twitter @osadaby.

A Guide To Ramadan - The Islamic Holy Month, By Usama Dandare

07 June, 2016

As the holy month of Ramadan begins yesterday, Muslims all over the world embarks on a 29-30 days fasting, from waking up in the early morning hours at dawn for breakfast, to waiting until the call to prayer at sunset for launch and dinner. It's imperative to shed more lights on why Muslims fast and what the month of Ramadan stands for, at least for the emphasis of educating our brothers and sisters from other religions. This piece will attempt to discuss in brief the concept of Ramadan fasting, its religious benefits, and perhaps medicinal importance:

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, it's the month in which the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, was revealed to the last prophet of Islam after Jesus Christ (PBUH) - Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). Being the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, or the Hijri calendar based on the lunar cycle, Ramadan began when Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina in AD622, and return once annually about 11 days earlier than the previous year. It sometimes falls in winter months when the fasts are short, and in summer months when the fasts are long. Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Holy Quran to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and this annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, other pillars include shahadah, which is the declaration of faith; salat, the five daily prayers; zakat, or almsgiving; and the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinks, smoking, backbiting, long arguments, lying, fighting and engaging in sexual relations; Muslims are also mandated to refrain from other behavior that could be perceived as sinful, such as swearing, engaging in disagreements, and unnecessary noise-making. 

Several Muslims around the world observe fast between dawn to sunset in the month of Ramadan, they do so not for losing fat or any medical value, but for spiritual benefits as it is ordained by the Holy Quran:

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed for those before you (i.e. Jews, & Christians) so that you may (learn) self-restraint." (Q2:183)

Fasting does not mean Muslims retreat from their daily routine, rather they are encouraged to continue as normal in their work and usual activities. In fact, this is where the challenge of patience and endurance comes in, because fasting isn't merely a physical ritual, but primarily a time for reflection and spiritual recharging. During the fast, Muslims believe that their desires are curbed and that they can gain understanding of how those who are less privileged than them feel. It's also considered a 'temptation free month' - as both Satan and the evil spirits are chained and incarcerated by God throughout the holy month - to increase one’s patience, closeness to God and generosity towards others. The month of Ramadan is also a time of unity; it is the custom for Muslims to invite their neighbours and friends to share their evening meal – iftar – and recite special Tarawih prayers in congregation. It is also a time for Muslims to reconnect with the Qur’an, which is the word of God.

Fasting during Ramadan is fardh ("obligatory") for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, travellers, the elderly, pregnant women, nursing mothers and those going through menstrual bleeding. Healthy Muslim men and women are required to fast during the month according to Islamic teachings. People exempt from fasting during Ramadan can make up the missed fasts later. But if a person is not able to fast at all – particularly if that is for health reasons – one can compensate by feeding a needy person for each of the day they do not fast. It's worthy to note that Muslims do not fast continuously throughout the month, they eat before dawn and break their fast at sunset each day.

While fasting during the holy month of Ramadan remains an avenue for introspection and spiritual renewal for all Muslims around the world, scientists have found that short periods of fasting – if properly controlled – can have a number of health benefits, as well as potentially helping overweight people. Medical experts encourages fasting Muslims to keep hydrated and have the right proportion of carbohydrates, fat and protein in between fasts, however tempting, but may in fact lead to gaining weight. So with prolonged fasting of many days or weeks, the body starts using protein for energy, and after a few days of the fast, higher levels of endorphins – hormones related to mood – appear in the blood and can make a person more alert and give an overall feeling of general mental wellbeing. Fasting has been proven to be an effective detoxification therapy as toxins will break down and pass out of the body. Also, it is ideal for both the overweight and underweight: for the overweight - deposited fat gets used and burns down, facilitating weight loss. While for the underweight - fasting normalizes the digestive system and equip the body to digest and assimilate nutrients.Fasting can also clear many skin problems due to the elimination of toxic materials, and has advantages in getting rid of addictions and habits like smoking and drinking alcohol.

Depending on which part of the world, Muslims have varying Ramadan customs, based on their cultures, but, the Islamic injunctions remained the same and unchangeable across the globe, which include: Eating and drinking at sahoor, the pre-fast meal, just before dawn; not delaying breaking the fast at sunset, which is iftar time; breaking the fast with an odd number of fresh dates, or dried dates if none are available, or a few sips of water; searching for the “Night of Power” or Laylat al-Qadr - a blessed night which according to Islamic tradition was the night when the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to Prophet Muhammad by God, and falls within the last 10 nights of Ramadan.

Ramadan begins when a crescent moon is sighted on the last day of Sha'aban (the 8th month in the Islamic calendar), but in a situation where the moon was not sighted for lack of visibility or other factors, the month of Ramadan automatically begins the following night whether or not the crescent moon is seen. Do you know that the month of Ramadan starts on different days across the world?  This differences over the start and end dates of Ramadan from one country to another, are basically as a result of variations in the sighting of the moon due to time differences between one country/region to the next. In places where it is not possible to see the crescent moon, Muslims begin fasting according to the closest place where the moon has been sighted, while other scholars rely on the calculations of astronomers. However, some Islamic scholars have called for Muslims to be united, and start the month of fasting based on sighting of the moon in the holy city of Mecca, which several other scholars rejected.

In places with no sunsets, like in the Arctic Circle and in Northern Finland where the sun remains visible at midnight and doesn't set at all for 60 days during summer, Muslims in those places are permitted to follow more reasonable dawn and sunset times of other countries, likewise Muslims living in the most northerly regions of Alaska can use the dawn and sunset times of another part of America where “day is distinguishable from night”.

Reykjavik, Iceland, has the longest hours of fasting in the world where the fast will be about 21 hours 57 minutes long in the beginning of the month of Ramadan, with a fast starting at 2:03am and finishing at midnight. While Sydney, Australia, has the shortest hours of fasting in the world where a fasting day will be about 11 hours 24 minutes long at the start of Ramadan, with a fast starting at 5.29am and finishes at 16:53pm.

The month of Ramadan ends on the 29th day if a crescent moon for the month of Shawwal (the 10th month in the Islamic calendar) is sighted, in a situation where the moon of Shawwal was not sighted, Ramadan automatically ends on the 30th day. The next day after the month of Ramadan becomes the first day of Shawwal: a day when Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking of the fast, which marks the end of Ramadan. According to Islamic tradition, the angels call it the day of prizegiving because all those who fasted are rewarded by God on this day, and so it is common to hear Muslims greet each other with Eid Mubārak (Happy Eid) and it is forbidden to fast on this day. It is Islamic to celebrate Eid with a small sweet breakfast, and to give charity before Eid prayers in congregation, and many Muslims celebrate by giving gifts, wearing new or clean clothes, and visiting friends and family. It's simply a day of love, unity, peace and a day to put smiles on the faces of the needy and the vulnerable ones among the society and give them a sense of belonging. This marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the end of the Ramadan fast. 

In a nutshell, understanding what Ramadan is and the sanctity of the fast is of paramount importance to both Muslim or non-Muslims, for the goals of fasting is to teach patience, discipline, modesty and spirituality. Whoever is observing a lengthy period of fasting must stay healthy, eat wisely and sleep enough.

Conclusively, there are practices or habits that all Muslims observing the Ramadan fast need to adopt in order to maintain a balance and healthy life throughout this holy month and beyond:

• Avoid eating an excess of carbohydrates. 
• Avoid an intake of excessive sugary and spicy food, and also stay away from caffeine drinks such as coke, coffee or tea.
• Avoid snacks high in salt like chips or nuts.
• Take dinner only before Ishaa and after Taraweeh prayers, so the time afterwards is spent in Ibaadah, prayers and dhikr.
• Women should not be made to cook all day: hence, keep the meals simple and humble, so they too can get the time to engage in equal Ibaadah and prayers, during their day, and post-Iftaar as well.
• When considering dinner, it's very important to include food varieties like: Meat/Bean, Bread/Cereal, Milk, Vegetable, Fruits among others.

In this holy month of love and peace, permit me to end with an apology to whomever I have offended in one way or the other either knowingly or unknowingly through the course of my work or interactions with folks both online and offline, please accept my unreserved apologia. And at the same time wishing all my readers, friends, well-wishers, colleagues, family, and the entire Muslim umma a blissful, bountiful, glorious, and a happy Ramadan fast. May the Almighty Allah - the God of Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W), the God of Prophet Jesus Christ (PBUH), the God of Prophet Moses (PBUH), and the God of Prophet Abraham (PBUH) accept all our worships during this holy month and beyond, and spare our lives to witness more and more Ramadans ahead.

Usama Dandare, a social commentator write from Sokoto. Reach me on mail via osadaby@yahoo.com or on twitter @osadaby or on Facebook via facebook.com/usama.dandare

On Nigeria's Decision To Pardon And Rehabilitate Surrendered Haramite Of Boko, Usama Dandare ‎

Frankly speaking, this is the least I will comprehend from Buhari and his government, not even in my daydreams. It's the greatest mistake to be done at this critical time in our national struggles. We overwhelmingly gave our mandate on March 28th, 2015 to a government we hope will respond to our plights, one main reason for supporting PMB was the confidence we have that he'll eradicate our daily killers and safeguard our lives and properties, but surprisingly, the same government wants to reunite us back with our killers. I can't imagine shaking hands with rehabilitated Boko Haram members, while remembering the thousands if not millions of innocent fellows they brutally slaughtered in broad-daylight in the name of one so-called holy war. I am against this plan and I am optimistic no Nigerian will welcome such a mistake especially those in the troubled northeastern region who lost family members, friends, properties and those that were made refugees in their own land all by the inhuman activities of these bloodthirsty haramites.

This is a gross betrayal of our mandate and also a gross violation of our anti-terrorism laws which stipulates death penalty for Nigerians found guilty of treason, murder and terrorism. Whoever brought this idea is not helping PMB, himself and Nigeria as a whole, this is the greatest offside ever in the governmental lexicon of our nation. Forget about any so-called international treatise or convention and use your no6, we cannot accept or implement policies aimed at destroying our lives in trying to obey international laws. No amount of western pressure will make us accept this rubbish, why didn't the United States rehabilitate and reintegrate Umar Faruk Mutatallib back to their society? How many terrorists were arrested in America, Europe and other western countries, and how many of them were rehabilitated and reintegrated back to their various societies? 

What we failed to understand is that these idiots called surrendered BH members didn't surrendered because they were against BH activities, no, they surrendered to beg for mercy in a tactical maneuver because the military have totally overpowered them. How many among them did surrendered when they were having a filled day unleashing terror on the common man in a free for all manner during GEJ's regime of insensitivity? Why now? This is like giving them another chance to regroup and strike again. This is akin to a scenario where you went to arrest a thief and after a lengthy period of gun duel, the thief having ran out of firepower came out with his hands on his head and surrendered to you, will you pardon him just because he did what must be done wittingly or unwittingly?

Wait a minute, where's the whereabouts of our chibok girls and thousands other abducted citizens? These demons kidnapped thousands of our people, raped them, abused them, sold them into slavery and murdered hundreds in captivity. Yet, our government thinks it's a good idea to pardon them and bring them back to the society while our abducted maidens varnished into thin air, and you think we will accept them back? Never, it is not and cannot be possible at all. 

If care is not taken, this move to rehabilitate and reintegrate BH demons will ignite the unexpected, just that we are being patient and enduring several untold hardship because we have faith in PMB and wanting to give him a benefit of doubt, doesn't warrant working against our collective existence, we may be force to come out en mass and occupy the streets if PMB is to go ahead with his plans to pardon our great killers.

Let's all rise up and reject this move by voicing out our frustrations until it reaches all the relevant authorities concerned, we say NO to BH rehabilitation and re-integration, NO! NO! NO! We must criticise whatever is wrong and praise all that's right, i think this is why we are change agents. Anyway, I still have faith in PMB and very confident he'll deliver and make Nigerians proud. #MayBuhariSucceed but not this time, not in reuniting us with the angels of death. Please join the hash-tag  #BokoHaramMustDie and say NO.

Usama Dandare, a social commentator write from Sokoto. You can reach him via email at osadaby@yahoo.com ‎or twitter via @osadaby.

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What Do The Igbos Want?

 Usama Dandare
osadaby@yahoo.com
@osadaby

During the presidential media chat on Wednesday 30th December 2015, President Muhammed Buhari when asked about the outcries of maltreatment and marginalization by some gullible Igbos and the continue protests and struggle for the realization of a sovereign Biafran State, the president responded by saying:
“They said they are being marginalized but they haven’t defined the extent of their marginalization. Who marginalized them? How? Where? Do you know?,” he queried.”Who is the minister of state for petroleum, is he not Igbo? Who is the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria? Is he not Igbo? Who is minister of labour, science and technology? What do the Igbos want?”

And here i come, asking the same question with that of Mr. President; “What do the Igbos want?”

I have seen and read several fictive ejaculations and verbal masturbation from some lousy, frustrated, hypocritical and angry wailers against the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. They concocted all manner of hogwash to prove that Buhari “hates the Igbos” and that’s why he does not consider them for lucrative appointments in his government.

Amazingly, these hate mongers making noise about juicy appointments are the same people who massively and resoundingly rejected Buhari not once not twice, on four occasions when he contested the presidency in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. And at same time while making these hypocritical noises about appointments, they keep saying that they are proud of the way they rejected him (Buhari), and that if given the chance they will reject him over and over again for an absolutely corruption tainted regime, a regime unanimously rejected by Nigerians and the global communities, and yet they wants juicy appointments in a government they are proud of rejecting. Isn't it an outright hypocrisy and callousness to expect lucrative appointments in the government of a man you have proudly rejected and insulted with all sorts of derogatory words? I wonder how you will be part of a CHANGE GOVERNMENT after ganging up against the CHANGE MOVEMENT right from inception. What a hypocrisy!

The jobless dedicated bunch of unfocused and brainwashed Igbo self acclaimed social media journalists occupied our blogsphere with various fabrications to lure Igbos away from supporting Buhari; they dusted 50 years-old photos of the civil war and those of executed drug dealers during Buhari’s military leadership days, and attributed him to their concocted fictive quotes of islamization just to deceive young Igbo and stop them from voting Buhari. And while other tribes were busy working out alliance to get Nigeria out of the state of comatose in which we found ourselves into as a result of PDP's sixteen years of rascalities and mismanagement, the Igbos were busy living in their fictive elucidation and working to shutdown the doors of success for Buhari and the APC, and inciting some gullible Igbos and Niger Deltans against other regions with cheap blackmails and photographs of Buhari's military administration, while branding any Igbo who dare identify with not only Buhari but the APC in general a traitor and not of Igbo origin.

But today after they failed in all their plans to humiliate and shame Buhari, the same self acclaimed enemies of change are now demanding for more juicy appointments in their enemy's government ahead of other tribes who tirelessly sacrificed their all to make sure the change train safely crossed over the bridge of Igbo conspiracy. In all sense of fairness, President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Congress (APC) have tremendously identified with Ndigbo despite their open hatred against the former and the latter.

The first step to identify with Ndigbo at the onset of this administration was ballooned into the air by nobody rather the Igbos themselves, the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Senate President was initially zoned to the Southeast but due to their outright hatred and growing insularity, the Igbos sentimentally sold out all the legislative seats in their entire federal constituencies to the PDP for a cheap price, leaving behind no single legislator in the APC hierarchy to occupy the seat of the Speaker nor the Senate President. Indeed, the Igbos in their selfish quest to ensure the defeat and humiliation of the people's general and the APC, they pitifully shot themselves in the head. Upon all the hatred, the APC legislators went out of its modus operandi to make an Igbo man from a different minority party the Deputy Senate President but yet, my Igbo brothers are still shouting marginalization. Who is marginalizing who?

Despite this, the present day regime of President Mohammadu Buhari tried all its possible best to appease the Igbos but yet, they aren't contend with all they got. Apart from the fact that all the five states in the Southeast has one minister each, Buhari also ensured that an Igbo man represented Delta and Rivers State in his cabinet. Who is marginalizing who? Do you know that almost all the sensitive positions in Buhari's cabinet are headed by Igbos?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema is an Igbo man. Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of State, Petroleum is an Igbo.
Ogbonaya Onu, the Minister of Science and Technology is also an Igbo. Okechukwu Enelamah, the Minister of Trade, Investment is an Igbo. Professor Anthony Onwuka, the Minister of State, Education is an Igbo. Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation is also an Igbo. What about Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank Governor, is he not an Igbo?
But yet, we keep hearing outcries of marginalization from some hypocritical sectionists. What lucrative appointments do Ndigbo want in a government they joyfully and overwhelmingly rejected more than what they've got? What do the Igbos want?

I often say it that Igbos are the architectures of their own problems, they kept deceiving themselves by pointing fingers and blaming others for their own misfortunes. Pitifully, their monetary marriage with the most corrupt regime in the history of man and their fictive masturbations against other tribes and regions have just handed them a monumental irrelevance in the political makeup of our democracy. When MKO Abiola boasted to Arthur Nzeribe that he can win the presidency without Igbo votes, many argued thought it could never be possible but Abiola went on to do what almost seemed impossible to many and won the presidentials without Igbo votes and today, Buhari and APC have achieved the same feat.

This doesn't augur well for my Igbo brothers, they've proven to the world that they have no much relevance in our democracy today as one or two regions could form enough coalition to produce the presidency with or without Igbo votes; thus relegating the Igbos to a mere minority and immaterial clan in deciding who emerges as Nigeria’s president.
This development isn't only worrisome but horrific, and doesn't betoken well for Igbo relevance in our political futurity, unless something urgent is done. Ndigbo must accept the reality and hold Nigeria at heart before any tribal or religious sentiment, and learn to distinguish between personal and communal liability. The time to start a rethink is now.