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(164): Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal: A short tribute

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The tribute was published a day after the death of my father, Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal, on Facebook. He was 78. The news of the death came to me while I was alone and far away from Nigeria and Germany. I was attending the 4th Symposium on West African Languages – SyWAL2022 – in Naples, Italy. Three weeks ago, against people’s travel advice, I insisted on going to Nigeria, especially for our aged and ailing father. They argued that it was not very safe for me to visit. He was delighted to see me , and that meant everything to me . The day my friends and I met Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu at his Sabon Titi office, they asked to see our father, and we went. As we delivered Prof.’s greetings, he began to shed tears while reminiscing their days of yore together at Bayero University, Kano. We somewhat quickly had to leave him, for only he knew what was going on in his heart. Despite that single moving scene, I had a wonderful, memorable time with him during the trip. It was like I fulfilled his desir
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(163) Who greets who: Are you also tired of debates on marriage?

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  An Arewa24 TV talk show presenter suggested that if a man’s wife doesn’t greet him as per tradition, he should greet her. That provoked many men on Northern Nigerian social media. It’s yet another round of endless debate on marriage. Thus, I posted this article as my contribution to the discussion. Enjoy. The marriage question will continue to dominate our public discourse for a considerable time. In contrast to the Western world and other regions, Hausa/Fulani religious and social traditions prohibit sex outside of marriage. However, as humans have an inherent desire for sexual activity, marriage remains the only legitimate way to satisfy that craving. Conflicts will occur as long as men and women live together, desire to raise a family and do much more. We are not meant to agree on everything. Some disputes are solvable, others intractable. While divorce is halal, it's significantly discouraged by both Islam and our culture. So, what do we do? Many couples, especially
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(162): On rewriting my novel, A Weird Hope

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On rewriting my novel, A Weird Hope By Muhsin Ibrahim I published my novel, A Weird Hope , in 2012. I don't have a copy of the book today. However, as I worked on publishing a second edition very soon, I asked a friend who still keeps a copy to send me its imprints. I found avoidable errors in the "Acknowledgment". What about other parts of the book? It's pretty embarrassing. Beyond that, I felt happy. I was glad because my writing skills are evidently better today. That enabled me to see those blunders. That led me to upgrade the language of the forthcoming edition. I also insisted on getting a competent editor, not just one that would do it for me free or quickly. Hey, you may still see errors. I'm human - and a Learner. I shall talk more about the book once it's released. For now, I advise fellow budding writers to never stop practising. Writing is a passion. Nevertheless, they should take their time getting their manuscripts published. I know the e
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(161): Social media fame: A quick take

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Too many people desperately seek cheap popularity on social media (SM). They include socialites, self-identified religious scholars and ordinary people. The first category, such as Murja Ibrahim, doesn't surprise me. Their followers astonish me. But the second and third categories astound me. The "religious scholars" mindlessly chase fame (and fortune) on SM today. It's common to see a benighted person countering an established scholar over what he barely understands. I came across one a while ago trying to debunk a theological discourse using baseless claims. He struggled to recite the Qur'an before him. The third category hides behind "catching cruise", whatever that means. Someone shared that viral tweet by parody accounts of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg yesterday. People called his attention to the fact that they were parody accounts. He admitted knowing that but added that he was only "catching cruise". What is that, for God's sa
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(160): We are not ignorant

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  By Muhsin Ibrahim My wife and I got an appointment to meet some real estate agents to show us a new apartment we applied to rent. I wanted to practice the little German I could speak to impress them, but it didn’t work. Sensing my disappointment, one of them, apparently well-educated , told me I was lucky I understood a little German. In contrast, he couldn’t speak any Nigerian – referring to a non-existent language he called “Nigerian”. I appreciated him, but I also reminded him that there was no such a language. I have had similar encounters in India as I wrote here . Due to Africa’s colonial past and ‘peripheral’ status on the world stage, we effectively learn about other , more prominent countries than their people know about us. For instance, most Africans learn about the European country that colonised their own country. As Nigerians, we learn about Great Britain and the English language and literature at schools. English is our official language! We also know much about t
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(159) Arewa and needless debates on the English language and degree certificates

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By Muhsin Ibrahim Following the publication of Skills Rather Than Just Degrees by Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), a debate raged on obtaining a degree certificate or acquiring skills in northern Nigerian cyberspace. To my knowledge, Prof. Abdelghaffar Amoka Abdelmalik of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, offered the best response that put the final nail in the coffin of the debate. For the past few days, we have been busy (again) arguing whether or not English proficiency can be a measure of one's intelligence. But, unfortunately, these controversies in sections of northern Nigerian cyberspace aren't only unneeded but also detrimental to the region. A few other concerned friends and I have said enough about the two topics. However, some things are worth repeating. Here are two points. First, school is not a scam. Even Islam, the religion most of us practice, is totally pro-education. So, obtain that degree certificate and learn that skill. The two aren't mutually exclusiv
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(158): Small Things Matter: Lessons from Hadiza Bala Usman's "Stepping On Toes"

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By Muhsin Ibrahim Due to some reasons, I have not yet finished reading Hadiza Bala Usman's Stepping on Toes : My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority . However, as I read through, it felt like I wrote parts of the book. While she acknowledges that she is human and bound to err, the internal reforms she brought to the Nigeria n Port s Authority (NPA) are outstanding. What I love the most is how she paid attention to things we in Nigeria consider minor, such as the working condition of electric appliances, toilets, the ambience of the workplace, punctuality, etc. I will mention just three case scenarios. First, she learned that "the air-conditioning system was faulty, and [they] suggested installing a standing split unit in my office, but I refused" (p. 37). She insisted that the whole system has to work, kicking against "the mentality of insulating chief executives from the general situation in a working environment [in Nigeria]. (ibid.)" Excellent! Second,
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