Nigeria Times

By Sunday Attah

The establishment of the Nigerian Army University in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State by the federal government somewhat came as a surprise to many of us. We wondered why there was a need for a Nigerian Army University as a first and what informed the choice of Biu as a second. All of these contributed a great deal to speculations and insinuations anchored on lack of information and the likes. This article is intended to shed light of the resourcefulness of the Nigerian Army University and the choice of Biu, in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.

The first question is what necessitated the establishment of the Nigerian Army University? According to information gathered, the university was conceived as a unique university that would be different from conventional universities in Nigeria. The concept is to make it a solution provider and a centre of excellence for a variety of technologically related ventures such as generation and armament production as well as the development of counter-insurgency manuals for use by the Nigerian Military.

The Nigerian Army University is also aimed at promoting research and other means of advancement of knowledge and its practical application to military hardware and software, social, cultural, economic, scientific and technological situations. A brilliant concept we must admit.
In my opinion, the choice of Biu is not only strategic; it goes a long way in bringing to the fore the uniqueness of the community with regards to location and commitment in the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria.
As a first, Biu is a historic town and one replete with historical acts. The story of Biu people is that of resilience, heroism and collectivism and replete with indefatigable leaders, great warriors and heroic personalities. Biu is a fortress town that sits majestically south of Borno on a plateau replete with precipitous cliffs.
Biu is the first city of the Babur/Bura ethnic group and the second most significant urban center and largest local council in Borno State. It is also a provincial hub of commerce and cultural renaissance, and has played a premier role since 1918 when the British colonialists created Biu Division. Currently, it serves as the headquarters of Biu Emirate, comprising of three other local governments: Bayo, Hawul, and Kwaya-Kusar.
Just as in the olden days when warring neighbors found it difficult to penetrate Biu, the town has remained impregnable till date, having defied attempts by the Boko Haram insurgents to seize it. One of the major reasons that accounts for this is the town’s topography. Biu is a 766-metre elevation above sea level. Its altitude is heightened by the fact that no other city around it is so loftily positioned. This vantage visibility has enhances its security such that, whichever route an intruder is coming from, the security agents will be viewing him from the hilltop and repel attacks in devastating fashion.
This suffices to add that all through the insurgency, Biu was never deserted, unlike other communities. The people remained to assist the Nigerian military operations in ways too numerous to mention. It is also instructive to add that the concept of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) originated from Biu. The Civilian-JTF consisted of youths from Biu who allied with the Nigerian Army in dealing deadly blows on the Boko Haram insurgents in the peak of the crisis.
The Biu people displayed resilience as true warriors and never gave a chance to the Boko Haram terrorists. They took the bull by the horn in the early stages of the Boko Haram conflict by ensuring that youths from Biu were not brainwashed into joining ranks with the Boko Haram group. Those that defied were identified and banished from the community. This indeed brought about the desired results and mostly responsible for why Biu remained an albatross for the Boko Haram group whenever they attempt to attack the community and other neighbouring communities. That is the secret of Biu people who remained resilient, firm and peaceful.
So it came as no surprise when the government decided to locate the Nigerian Army University in Biu, which in my opinion is a function of two things; one as a reward for their steadfastness over the years in safeguarding humanity from death and destruction from Boko Haram and two; for the enhancement of the resilience that Biu is reputed for as far as counter-insurgency operations are concerned.
As an aside, I am of the view that all Nigerian communities experiencing security challenges must take a cue from the Biu example in realizing that the task does not rest on the shoulders of the military alone, as all hands must be on deck in ensuring that the activities of belligerent groups are curtailed.
The Biu example is very noteworthy because it indeed brought to the fore the fact that in some instances, the traditional justice is also an effective antidote to insecurity, especially when virtues such as honesty, fairness and discipline are inculcated in the youths at a very early stage. Folktales, widely used in Biu as instrument of education and platform for entertainment, long before the arrival of the British colonizers, had, in no small way, inculcated morals in Biu children, instilled virtues, loyalty, hard work, and honesty, to mention a few, in their parents. It is also my view that the Biu community should be a focus of extensive research by scholars in the development and formulation of counter-insurgency strategies.
I must, at this point, commend the Army authorities for this insight that would, in the long run, yield tremendous results in our counter-insurgency operations. I am sure that if other communities in North-East Nigeria had followed the Biu example, the Boko Haram crisis would have been long over.
That Biu is now benefiting from the fruits of its labour should ordinarily not raise an eyebrow. Instead, it should elicit interest from other communities on ways to contribute its quota to the efforts of the government in tackling security challenges in the country. This is my take. The establishment of Nigerian Army University in Biu is just a way by President Muhammadu Buhari to tell this community that it is good to be good.
The presence of the Nigerian Army University would also go a long way in bringing out the economic potentials as well as the tourist attractions in Biu There is no doubt that Biu is now on the radar and might be the beginning of good things to come. This is also noble in all ramifications.

Attah is a public affairs commentator and could be reached at Sunnybrightattah@gmail.com

By Joshua Jang

Something is cooking in Nigeria, and if utmost care is not taken, the country might seize to exist in the nearest future. There is an ongoing campaign to paint a picture of genocide against the Christian community. I recall that in recent times there has been a series of campaigns targeted at undermining the efforts of the government in addressing the various security challenges in the country.

Of course, I had always waved the insinuations off for lacking in merit in all ramification. However, I was alarmed when I stumbled on a news report by CBN News titled “Terror Target: Nigeria, one Nigeria for where? Southern Nigeria are sleeping”. The story indeed confirmed my fears about the grand plot by some foreign interest to cause the disintegration of Nigeria. The news report was very ineffectual, so much so that one could easily see the mischief intended.

It’s instructive to state that no doubt that Nigeria is experiencing some security challenges due to the activities of the Boko Haram group and as well as the actions of other militant groups in the country, but twisting the narrative to a religious one now is most insensitive and callous on the part of the promoters of such disturbing actions.

I am also disturbed that the bulk of the accusations have been coming from outside the shores of Nigeria. First, it was the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and now the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) where it alleged that Christians in Nigeria are being targeted for execution by “Fulani Terrorist” in an attempt to convert Nigeria to an Islamic country.

The news by the CBN was very despicable and unprofessional. One could easily decipher that it was indeed intended for mischief purposes with the wild allegations that ordinarily defeats common sense. I took time to watch the almost five minutes video, and I almost puked out of disgust for the way and manner the report was packaged.

One of the areas I found very worrisome is the nonsensical conclusion that the bulk of Nigeria’s security personnel are Muslims hence their refusal to protect Christians. I am not sure those behind this unwholesome campaign against Nigeria are human beings because you can only get confused and lost with the allegations in the news report that is not a fraction near what is happening Nigeria.

The truth is that the news report made all of us Nigerians look like foreigners in our own country because what they were trying to promote is the fact that Nigerians are not aware of the mass killing of Christians in the country because probably we have been hypnotized by the same Fulani terrorist not to be able to speak out, so much so that it is now the foreigners that may have never stepped their foot on Nigerian soil are the ones informing the whole world of the plan to commit genocidal acts against Christians and also force the conversion of Nigeria to a Muslim country.

This sounds like an old rhyme. Yes, it does because we heard it over and over many years ago on how there is an Islamic agenda in the country and whatnot. The interesting thing is that this always happens whenever Nigeria has a Muslim president which, in my opinion, is the handiwork of mischief makers that do not wish that Nigeria experiences peace and unity.

Back to the CBN news report, it is indeed sad that what the promoters of the campaign against Nigeria attempted to do is to send frenzy to the Southern part of Nigeria where you have most Christian communities to believe that their lives are in danger and the need for them to take the laws into their hands and carry out attacks on non-Christians within their communities.

I guess we are all seeing the objectives? And we must indeed admit that Nigeria is in trouble and the drum of a sectarian war is beating. The beats are resounding in North Central, South West, South East and South-South Nigeria. Even though I still one or two reservations about the voice of Major General Dagvin Anderson, commander of the U.S. military’s special forces in Africa in the news report, I would, however, give the benefit of the doubt. Though unconvincingly.

This is not a funny situation because I am beginning to slap my face to see if I am still in Nigeria and if it was ever possible that genocidal acts against Christians were ongoing and the majority of Nigerians are not aware.

We must ask critical questions in this regard else we might wake up one day and see a wave of religious killings across the country motivated by the fact that people have been misled into believing what it is not and taking laws into their hands. If indeed we come to terms with the realization that this campaign against Nigeria is real and it would be worse than the Boko Haram crisis if we don’t begin the urgent process of countering the plans of those against the interest of Nigeria.

And it must be expressly stated that farmers-herders conflict which was used as the background for the acts of genocide against Christians has no religious undertone but rather the struggle over grazing land, and scarce resources over the years resulted in perennial and growing violent conflicts in terms of frequency, intensity and geographic scope.

Expectedly, with the depletion of arable land for subsistence farming largely as a result of increasing urbanization and the adverse effect of climate change, there is increased struggle between herdsmen and farmers – leading to violent confrontations and conflicts, deaths and forced displacement, as well as the destruction of agriculture and livestock. This is indeed the case and not any acts of genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

I would at this point strongly suggest to the promoters of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) to desist from this despicable plot to ignite a sectarian crisis in Nigeria because it is inexcusable to put in the public space information that are false and highly misleading. For example, the insinuation that the President of Nigeria has refused to act because he is a Muslim is very insulting to our collective sensibilities as Nigerians regardless of our ethnic or religious affiliations as a first. And to also boldly assume that the bulk of the Army and the Police are Muslims is funny, but calls for concerns as regards the level of desperation of the promoters of this campaign against Nigeria.

This threat is real, and the government must act and in quick time as Nigeria cannot survive a sectarian crisis, and not with the wounds of the Boko Haram crisis still fresh. Our religious leaders, as well as our community leaders, must come together and protect the relative peace in their various domains. I always wonder what our offence is in Nigeria that some foreign vested interest would not rest until the country disintegrates. It is just a shame.

Jang, a Peace Ambassador wrote from Jos.

By Bukola Olasanmi

In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari had two obsessions about the Northeast. He was concerned on how to end Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the region and how to restore the region devastated by insurgency to its former status. As a leader, he knew, it was costly to compromise on this.

In pursuit of this agenda, The President made an instructive public declaration and immediately embarked on actions to back it up. The President commissioned the newly anointed Service Chiefs and charged them to end Boko Haram terrorism and all forms of criminalities which assailed the Northeast region in record time. Thereafter, he promised Nigerians that he would commission a sociological study to ascertain the causes of insurgency in the region and take steps to ensure it does not recur in the future.

Many Nigerians heard the President, but could hardly decode what he intended precisely. But his intentions became clear by the day. It was touchy to think that Boko Haram has done years of incalculable damages in the Northeast. Its horrendous atrocities reflected in mass killings, abductions, destructions and the dislocation of social and economic life of the people. People were enslaved in their own country and ancestral lands.

The foresighted President Buhari thought that it was necessary to document the history of a people who suffered this sad fate in the hands of religious extremists and armed gangs for posterity. Mr. President also thought it wise to record the various measures adopted by government to battle the scourge. The President knew that aggressive rebuilding and reconstruction of the devastated Northeast after the end of Boko Haram was inevitable; but a task too herculean to be tackled from one angle alone.

Therefore, he conscripted the Nigerian Army to provide back-up support to civilian authorities by leading the war against insurgency and also, thereafter, crusade the evangelism on development of the Northeast. The President had to use a front to achieve his mission in the region. He needed a man who mastered the matrix of anti-terrorism combats, with an innovative mind and an unquenchable knack for development to lead his development efforts from this plank.

President Buhari therefore, anointed Lt. Gen. TY Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency operations as the punch man to insidiously drive his development agenda for the Northeast on a different level. This is in addition to other rebuilding and reconstructions initiatives of the federal government.

Quite exemplary, it has just dawned on most Nigerians that President Buhari from outset intended to use the Nigerian Army to railroad some of his development initiatives in the Northeast, ruined and devastated by insurgency. All over the world, the military as a matter of fact has been a veritable instrument for development. This history is as old as civilization itself.

Even in Nigeria, good students of history can still remember the several emergency infrastructures built by the Military during the civil strife of 1967 -70 in parts of the Southeast. Roads were constructed and bridges built. These amenities outlived the war and served communities for years. Some have served to this moment as positive relics of the war and still in usable state.

President Buhari has excitingly revived this culture of the Military as agents of development. The Chief of Army Staff has queued into the vision of Mr. President by helping to deliver a world class university to one of the insurgency most ravaged rural communities in the Northeast. Consequently therefore, the initiative of the first-ever Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB), Borno state has progressively berthed in Borno state.

The idea of the varsity, which was conceived in 2017 and commenced operations in 2018 is gradually becoming a centre of excellence both in academics and infrastructural development in the region. While the vision of President Buhari in rebuilding the Northeast has manifested in other areas such as the North East Development Commission (NEDC), but NAUB also stands out distinctively as a strong catalyst and instrument of development of the region in the post-insurgency years.

It is indisputable that education attracts development to a place in multiple ways. It brings both intellectual and physical development. And NAUB is structured and programmed to serve as a potent tool for healing of minds after war. Nigerians are aware that the Boko Haram ideology needs to be tackled ruthlessly to uproot it from the psyche of the people. NAUB is providing the platform for people of the Northeast and indeed, all Nigerians to learn and understand the nuances of the obnoxious Boko Haram ideology; how to destroy or resist it.

The varsity is not a mere potent tool for rehabilitation of the mind and the region; but above all, it is one of the surest ways to tell Boko Haram that its ideology has been defeated. NAUB by its symbolism and functionality will bring closer to the people both western and Islamic education that are of global standards; dismantle the artificial chasms or barriers some religious extremists have placed between the two forms of progressive education.

And NAUB has taken off on a sound-footing and designed to operate with 14 faculties, 113 departments and 493 programmes in both humanities and sciences to train both military personnel and civilians. It is living its dreams. It has matriculated students and kick-started its operations with five faculties and 39 programmes; while aggressively expanding its structures every day to compete with the best varsities in the world.

The NAUB is also attracting ancillary development to the region as investors are also willing to partner and invest in the institution. Soon, the drumbeats of war in the Northeast region would vanish completely and, in its place,, a serene atmosphere of peace and tranquility will descend on the Northeast, radiating in people’s quest for learning and excellence in NAUB.

Lyndon B. Johnsonbelieves that “The noblest search is the search for excellence.” Therefore, Gen Buratai through his actions has not only continued to prove Mr. President right on his chief as Army Chief and leader of the counter-insurgency operations. Gen. Buratai’s usefulness to the country is under-utilized.

NAUB is an asset to Nigeria and a treasure to the people of the Northeast. The Nigerian Army under Buratai has done much for the development of the country as attested by its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects even in the Northeast.

An academic, Terry Eagleton says, “The humanities should constitute the core of any university worth the name.” NAUB embodies all of it plus military science and technology which is the first in Africa. The Nigerian Army University Biu is an institution to watch; as attested by the level of infrastructures that are being put in place, the quality of both academic and administrative staff, who are the best brains in their areas of specialties. #

Olasanmi is a journalist and wrote this piece from Biu, Borno State.

By Murtala Abubakar

The Boko Haram crisis in North-East Nigeria has indeed set the economy of the region several years back. The North East region of Nigeria, comprising of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba States, has been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009. Estimates of the negative impacts of the crisis include approximately 14.8 Million people adversely affected, about 2.3 Million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including over 100,000 Nigerian Refugees in neighbouring countries, over 20,000 deaths and even more people severely injured or missing.
Many of the region’s residents now live in IDP camps, with host families away from their original homes and in host communities. Many host communities are severely stressed, having to cater for the massive influx of displaced people from places directly hit by Boko Haram.
The Boko Haram crisis has also resulted in extensive damage to social, economic, health and market infrastructure. Numerous homes have been destroyed. Many schools, hospitals, markets and places of worship have been destroyed or closed. Many communities have been completely abandoned, especially in Borno and Yobe. There are limited numbers of teachers, doctors and other health workers, with over 500 teachers killed and many fleeing the region. While there is still a semblance of economic activity in some parts of the region, the economy of the region has virtually collapsed, with many parts of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, having lost key markets and other market-related infrastructure.
Returning the region to normalcy is one of the highest priorities of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration which has high on its priority list, bringing an end to the war, effectively handling the humanitarian crisis and implementation of an effective rehabilitation and resettlement programme, as well as the implementation of a solid peace-building, reconciliation and de-radicalization framework; as well as the effective reconstruction of social and physical infrastructure.
The above stated indeed necessitated the establishment of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC). The objective of the NEDC is to lead the reconstruction and development of the region by consolidating and replacing other initiatives such as the Victims Support Fund (VSF), Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE), and Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative (PCNI).
We must admit that the task before NEDC is indeed a gargantuan one owing to the undeniable fact that North-East Nigeria has been robbed of its glory and the need to begin the reconstruction of the region cannot be overemphasized. I recall when the establishment of the NEDC was given the all-clear to commence operations, there came the question of who would lead the organization to achieve its mandate to the people of the region most proactively and efficiently and within a time frame.
Consequently, Mohammed Alkali was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as the substantive managing director and his nomination was subsequently confirmed by the National Assembly and then came the burden of expectations. The name Mohammed Alkali didn’t particularly ring a bell, and in some quarters questions were raised on his capacity to deliver on the mandate of the NEDC.

Mohammed Alkali might not be the darling of the newspapers, and this is understandable because of the responsibilities on his shoulders and the expectations from the president and other critical stakeholders who are desirous of a return to normalcy in North-East Nigeria.
As a start, before his appointment, Mohammed Alkali was the Executive Director, operations of the Bank of Industry (BoI), he has a first-class honours degree in Accountancy from Bayero University, Kano. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from London School of Economics at the University of London, United Kingdom. He is also an alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School, Harvard University; the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago; and the Columbia Business School at the Columbia University. These are indeed very intimidating credentials if we must admit. However, the interesting aspect of Mohammed Alkali is the fact that he has been a silent achiever all of his work life. It is no news that he has kept a low profile as the managing director of the NEDC.
This silent attribute of him would not have come to the fore but for the activities of some mischief makers that attempted to drag him to the murky water of politics by making some wild allegations with regards his stewardship at the NEDC.
This I must confess indeed motivated me to write about this unassuming individual that has hit the ground running since his appointment as the managing director of the NEDC. Please permit me to reel out some of the modest achievements of the NEDC under the leadership of Mohammed Alkali.
The NEDC had been implementing impactful and incremental interventions designed to address most of the immediate challenges bedevilling the North-east states. For instance, the NEDC established a six billion naira Education Endowment Fund to resuscitate the regions devastated education sector and rebuild the human capital to provide an avenue for the engagement of over 20,000 beneficiaries annually to enable them access to academic and professional capacity development opportunities in various fields.
The NEDC is also implementing the rehabilitation of drinking water and sanitation facilities in states in North-East Nigeria. This project is part of the Multisectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) with the support of the World Bank.
The NEDC is also implementing about 1, 310 Rapid Response Intervention in Projects in all the 112 local governments of the North East Region. This is in addition to the implementation of an Integrated Agriculture Programme involving the provision of agricultural machinery and equipment, seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals and extension service logistics vehicles to enhance the production capacity of smallholder farmers in North East and enable them to regain their lost livelihoods.
The list is indeed endless, and for some of us from the North East, we are impressed with the level of interventions of the NEDC in rebuilding North-East Nigeria. It is indeed understandable if some individuals and groups attempt to rubbish the leadership strides of the managing director because their position is hinged on either mischief or ignorance. But whatever be the case it doesn’t change the fact that the NEDC under Mohammed Alkali has lived up to expectation in ways too numerous to mention.
I must state that the managing director of the NEDC is an exceptional breed and one that understands the need for the sincerity of heart and purpose in the administration of the affairs of the agency from the perspective that it is first an interventionist agency and secondly the fact that the people of North-East Nigeria have suffered indeed enough of the atrocities of the Boko Haram terrorist group.
I am not sure that those that made futile attempts at assassinating the character of the managing director were probably sad that for once that an individual heading such a sensitive interventionist agency would stand on the side of the people and not a select few. No doubt, the NEDC looks like a cash cow, but the man at the helm of affairs is not the everyday politician that would embark on grandstanding activities at the detriment of the core job for which he was so appointed.
I am glad that the mischief-makers who wanted to pull him down only succeeded in bringing his tangible achievements into the public space. This is indeed a blessing in disguise, and a reason why Mohammed Alkali must not lose focus because the hawks waiting to devour him are innumerable.
Mohammed Alkali must match his words with action in ensuring that the reconstruction of communities in North-East Nigeria receives the much-needed attention in fulfilment of the mandate of the NEDC. I am sure his consciousness must be awakened to the fact that all eyes are on him. There would be no hiding place for him in the event of a deviation from the full implementation of the mandate of the NEDC.
I am glad that so far, his stewardship in the NEDC is that of an unalloyed commitment to setting the foundation for the implementation of an effective rehabilitation and resettlement programme for the North East region in Nigeria. Credit must also be given to other members of the management of the NEDC for their commitment to teamwork towards the full implementation of the objectives of the NEDC.
Mohammed Alkali is indeed a patriotic servant and one that is more than committed to the restoration of normalcy in North-East Nigeria in fulfilment of the strategic objective of the current administration in establishing the NEDC. The case of Mohammed Alkali is indeed the footprints of a patriotic servant.

Abubakar is a humanitarian coordinator and activist based in Abuja.

By Best Agbese

I recall when the president announced the creation of a new ministry known as the Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, there was a bit of scepticism in the polity. It was argued in some quarters that the president in creating the new Ministry was duplicating portfolios by creating jobs for the “boys.”

One year down the line, those postulations have indeed been punctured by the superlative performance of the honourable minister, Hajia Sadiya Farouq. This indeed reminds me of the popular saying what a man can do a woman can do better. Hajia Sadiya Farouq did not only surprised many of us with her one-year scorecard, she indeed proved her mettle and justified the confidence reposed in her by President Muhammadu Buhari to head such a sensitive ministry whose activities revolves around the implementation of the social intervention programmes of the government that would have a direct impact on the lives of the ordinary citizens in the country.

I am not just a fan of Hajia Sadiya Faroug; I would call myself an adherent of her infectious mien that speaks volume of a woman on a mission for the betterment of the lives of the ordinary citizens in the country.

She comes across as someone that is very self-aware of herself and others around her. She knows who she is and what she wants, and this much she has exhibited in her duties as the honourable minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development in Nigeria.

In one year in the saddle, Hajia Sadiya Farouq rose to the occasion in the implementation of various social invention programmes in the country, so much so to the envy and consternation of some individuals and organizations that thought it would be business as usual in running the affairs of the Ministry. But she proved all of them wrong and has continued to forge ahead not mind the scathing attacks on her personality and efforts in the past year.

I make bold to say that she has indeed raised the bar for political appointees in the country. She has displayed uncommon courage in the face of stiff attempts to blackmail her into submitting to the whims and caprices of those groupings that do not wish the country well.

Make no mistakes; this piece is not about her personality alone, but also the lofty heights she attained within one year. It can thus be only imagined what the story would be after four years. Your guess is as good as mine.

I would start with the N-Power initiative, which has generated quite some uproar in the country. What people do not know is that the minister took a very bold step in repositioning the scheme through the introduction of the Batch C stream to accommodate more youths. This is sufficing to state that within 24 hours of the introduction of the Batch C stream, over one million youths made applications. And at the close of the application process, a total of 5,042,001 applications were received from Nigerians. This fact implies that indeed the minister understood the need to expand the net to accommodate more Nigerians in dire need of some form of engagements.

This, in my opinion, is thinking outside the box, which is a necessary skill in governance in modern times that entails questioning the status quo regularly. Make nonconformity the regular conversation, take a broader perspective and oscillate between uncommon content, draw a picture as a team and draw a picture of your challenge and possible ways to solve it.

The above listed are some of the attributes the minister has brought to bear in the discharge of her duties in the past one year in the saddle as the honourable minister of the ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development.

Under the National Social Investment Programme N-SIP, cutting across the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, (NHGSF, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, (GEEP), N-Power and the National Cash Transfer Programme, over 6.1 million Nigerians have been captured in the database of the national social intervention register. It is also estimated to have impacted the lives of over twelve million Nigerians, including several millions of indirect beneficiaries.

It is indeed a one year of service to humanity for Hajia Sadiya Farouq through numerous initiatives that have had far-reaching benefits to the generality of Nigerians directly and indirectly. The intervention of the Ministry during the COVID 19 pandemic is another point of reference. The efforts of the Ministry and Agencies under it have been outstanding. They have been involved in the distribution of different kinds of palliatives to the most vulnerable in the society, which includes refugees and IDP’s, People Living with Disabilities, Older Persons, Trafficked Persons, Orphans, the Poorest of the Poor in Communities, Petty Traders and other Persons of Concern.

The palliatives include foodstuffs like rice, maize millet, sorghum, vegetable oil, tomato paste, milk, sugar and spaghetti. Also, Four months of stipends paid at once to those benefiting from the Conditional Cash Transfer to cushion the effect of COVID 19, Loans and moratorium to trader and market moni beneficiaries, take-home food rations for Households of Children enrolled in the National Home -Grown School Feeding Programme and others too numerous to mention.

Under the supervision of Hajia Sadiya Farouq, the Ministry held the first-ever Civil Security Cooperation Workshop (CISEC) which birthed the Civil Security Coordination Framework out of which the National Humanitarian Coordination Forum was created and inaugurated earlier this year to ensure the smooth conduct of all humanitarian activities in the country.
Other structures include the Humanitarian Policy Dialogue Forum which was established to provide a forum in which the Ministry will interact with all CSO’s and NGOs to give room to interact and review all government policies and humanitarian activities. This is indeed, brilliant.

I dare to say that if all political office holders take a cue from Hajia Sadiya Farouq, Nigeria would indeed be a better place for all because, in this critical point of our existence, there is the urgent need for proactive actions towards addressing the myriads of challenges confronting the country.

I can go on non-stop on the exploits of Hajia Sadiya Farouq in the past one year without abate because her dedication and grasp of issues are indeed commendable and worthy of emulation. I can guess that President Muhammadu Buhari would be most pleased with the conduct of Hajia Sadiya Farouq, which has translated to the successes recorded in the implementation of the social intervention programmes of the government.

Some might want to argue that one year is too short to make an assessment, but I dare say that with the way and manner the minister has carried on, it is evident that Nigerians would see more of proactive measures in governance aimed towards delivering the dividends of democracy for all and sundry. This is my charge to Hajia Sadiya Farouq: she should stay focused and refused to be distracted by the activities of mischief makers that are bent on blackmailing her into submission to their whims and caprices.

It is indeed a statement of the fact that Hajia Sadiya Farouq is the star performer in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari despite the avalanche of attacks on her personality by refusing to play ball and maintain the statuesque where a select group feasted on our commonwealth recklessly.
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If not for anything the actions and inactions of Hajia Sadiya Farouq at the helm of affairs of the sensitive Ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development give hope to Nigeria that some individuals are passionate about sustainable growth and development in the country.

Hajia Sadiya Farouq leads this pack of dedicated Nigerians that are burning alive with passion for Nigeria. I must not also fail to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for the choice of Hajia Sadiya Farouq in the implementation of the social intervention programmes of the government.

It is not yet Uhuru as there a lot that still needs to be done. However, this cannot take away the fact the in the past one year, the scorecard of Hajia Sadiya Farouq has been most brilliant, coupled with the transparent way she has carried on as a minister of the federal republic of Nigeria evident in passion, kindness, creativity and innovation. Indeed the past one year in the activities of the Ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development has been phenomenal and worthy of emulation as she remains one of the performing ministers of the federal republic of Nigeria.

Agbese is a researcher at Dundee University, United Kingdom.