khalifah

What? Worship.
Who? Allah ﷻ.
Why? Our purpose of life.
How? Follow the Quran & Sunnah.
When? Always.
Where? Everywhere.

[Gimba Kakanda @gimbakakanda]

Pantami: Serving the Two Publics

Some of you here may be familiar with Peter Ekeh’s fascinating theory of our allegiances as Nigerians. His argument, broadly, is that we demonstrate two forms of allegiance: one to our primordial public, rooted in ethnicity, kinship, religion, and community; and another to the civic public, represented by the nation-state. The tragedy, he observed, is that the former often overrides the latter. His theory may now be dated in some respects, especially as newer forms of allegiance have emerged, but it remains relevant because it helps contextualise our development dilemma.

Every public officeholder in Nigeria lives in the prison of his origin, the first public. No matter the grand words of the oath of office, many are perceived first as representatives of their people before they are seen as servants of the Republic. Their people, in turn, see them as their meal ticket at the national kitchen. They know your family house, and they will not hesitate to appear there, even to stone you metaphorically or literally, if you do not perform as expected. To them, performance means prioritising them in job racketeering, showering them with money and Hajj seats procured from sources they prefer not to question, sponsoring weddings and lifestyles, donating generously to the community, servicing the pockets of traditional rulers and religious clerics, renovating neglected public institutions that should ordinarily be the responsibility of local government chairmen and governors, and so on.

What is rarely asked, in this burden of expectation, is the source of such money. And while I sincerely sympathise with public officeholders who are accounting officers, I believe that no person or group, however dear to you, should ever compel you to violate your sacred oath of office to “be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The other day, I had to tell a friend running for the House of Reps that he would not be able to do everything his community expected of him, because our people’s idea of lawmaking is public welfare. I remember marking Eid in Sokoto with my good friend, Abdussamad Dasuki, a federal legislator, and watching the resources he expended in attending to his constituents’ needs. It was enough to show that unless one is already well-to-do before entering public service, that burden is almost impossible to sustain.

This also applies to Bello El-Rufai’s public welfare scheme as a lawmaker. Many mock those who are not doing the same as failures, but it is not Bello’s income as a lawmaker that funds those scholarship opportunities. He comes from a family and social network that make it possible for him to raise the capital required, and he has said so himself. Another striking example is Senator Sani Mohammed, 313, from Niger State, whose overseas scholarship slots are notable. He is able to do this not simply because he is a senator, but because he was wealthy before assuming office.

I am not saying people do not make money from these offices. Far from it. These offices offer access, protection, and favours. But the point is that, for those who are not there to bend the rules for selfish interests, these expectations can only be fulfilled if they choose to become the very thing we claim we do not want them to be: rogues.

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[Daily Trust @daily_trust]

BREAKING: Angry workers chase Wike’s motorcade
https://t.co/0rfGcNWiaS

[Jauro XVII @Danjauro_]

Sheikh Guruntum blows hot on the Billion naira criminal enterprise of ‘middlemen’ who hoard staple food ahead of Ramadan to extract their pound of flesh on the Prophet’s ummah

He welcomes the falling prices and calls any attempt to portray it in negative light as unfortunate.

[Salim Ja’afar Mahmoud @salimsajma]

Istighfari kaɗai baya tasiri wajen kankare zunubai, sai an haɗa tare da tuba.

Allah Ya yafe mana zunubanmu baki daya.

[Salim Ja’afar Mahmoud @salimsajma]

Ka ɗauka kafi kowa ya zama shirme...!

Allah Ya ganar damu.

[Sarki. @Waspapping_]

SADAKA - Sheik Ahmad Tijjani Guruntum

[𝐃𝐫 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐚 @Realoilsheikh]

Dear Northern Youths,

This is where we should focus on. Let us learn about modern farming and invest in it. We have the wealth underground. Let us explore it.

[𝐃𝐫 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐚 @Realoilsheikh]

Ghana's Not Muslim-Muslim ticket 😁 addressing the Muslim community in Ghana that massively supported & voted for John Mahama during the just concluded election. The Presidemt can be heard reiterating his promises to the Muslims at a Special Muslims prayers and thanksgiving organised to pray for his success & to appreciate the Muslims & assure them of his campaign promises.

Listen to the end.

[Sarki. @Waspapping_]

Say Ameen to this prayer by Sheik Jafar Mahmood Adam

[Salim Ja’afar Mahmoud @salimsajma]

Bayani akan shirka... (1)

Allah Ya tsare mu.

[𝐃𝐫 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐚 @Realoilsheikh]

I love the Imam of Lekki Central Mosque for Allah's sake.

[Sarki. @Waspapping_]

Waliyyan Allah Daban Suke.

[Cyrus Ademola @CyrusAdemola]

How is Oyedele going to explain to Nigerians that all aspects of the economy is intrinsically connected?

How can you raise VAT to 15% with already an hidden tax (namely inflation) of 33%?

If you exempt food, do you exempt all other factors that goes into the buying, selling and distribution of food? Don't the low income earners participate in the larger economy too?

What kind of tax collector sense is he using here?

[khalifah @SulleyAS]

@ctpnetwo

[Abu Jabir Penabdul @PenAbdull]

Illolin kallon haram da kuma zinace-zinace da luwadi a cikin al’ummah

[BBC News Hausa @bbchausa]

Gwamnan jihar Borno, Babagana Zulum ya shaida mana irin mummunan halin da mutane ke ciki a Maiduguri bayan ambaliyar ruwa ta ɗaiɗaita aƙalla mutane miliyan biyu, a cewarsa.

[Imran Muhammad @Imranmuhdz]

A household owner in Maiduguri watches as his house is flooded with water.

[Mr. El-Bonga @el_bonga]

Buhari tells an Al-Jazeerah journalist why Nigeria can’t devalue its currency because we’re an importing economy that imports everything including toothpick. He says Nigeria would go against the IMF/World Bank if what they preach is against our interests

[Cooker Shillerson @tookerkurlson]

The Invisible Hand of Destiny, And The Bullet That Changed The World