TUESDAY CORNER (090)

TUESDAY CORNER (090)

It is often said that, 'not all that glitters is gold'. Maybe we can use the same token to say, 'not all rice (pyramids) is rice (on the plate)'. Last week President Buhari in company of some State Governors unveiled rice pyramids in Nigeria although I am not really certain what their intentions were because, I believe, the pyramids stand to give a false impression of rice revolution in Nigeria. Nigeria has the potential to produce such kinds of pyramid in every state but as it is now, rice pyramids can hardly be seen on plates. Truth be told, Rice production in Nigeria under President Buhari is better than that of previous administrations. I guess, I should have said "was better" because the activities of Bandits and Boko Haram have practically driven farmers off their farms. I am surprised the managed to scape this much from the farmers for display in front of the cameras. I doubt if a measure of rice anywhere in Nigeria - regardless of its "localness" and dirt - can sell for less than 500 naira. The point is, if rice is not affordable for the ordinary Nigerian, then their is little or no point displaying it for the world to see. 

Still on 'not all that glitters is gold', in football, we can also say, 'not all teams that lead at group stages will qualify for the second round'. With that, we can  use the Super Eagles as a classic example. After their initial gra-gra and keeping a clean sheet at the group stage, the crashed out at the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations. The point to note is that the end of a matter is better than the beginning. In any case, we are super proud of the Super Eagles in spite of the ojoro that was meted on the players. I am sure you that is reading will expect me to talk about that video call. Lai lai, I won't talk about it but I also think that some calls should be avoided until certain achievements have been made. 

Buhari was in Kaduna to commission certain projects embarked upon by Governor El-Rufai. One is amazed that in spite of the kidnapping and banditry going on in Kaduna, El-Rufai has still managed to complete such elephant projects while his neighbors are .  . . . Meanwhile, in Kaduna, the President declined the accomodation given to him instead he went to his Kaduna home and rested. That's what someone claimed as a mark of humility. I really want to be humble enough to sleep in my own house. 

Last week could also be themed as a Week of Wickedness. The murder of angelic little Hanifa Abubakar by her proprietor, Mohammed Tanko left many in shock. She was murdered earlier after being kidnapped  and the discovery was made last week. The quest for money, which was made by man, has caused us to lose our humanness. Over the weekend, an angry mob burned down the school where she was kidnapped in Kano. Also, as a reaction, the Kano State Government withdrew lisences of all private schools in Kano State, which made it hard for me to differentiate between the reaction of the youths and that of the government.  

Speaking of cruelty, a 16-year-old senior student slitted throat of an 11-year-old junior student of 

 El-Kanemi College of Islamic Theology in Maiduguri. Fortunately, the victim survived but it is the act of inhumanity at a teenage level that worries us the most. The senior student needs no further training to become a Captain the moment be decides to join Boko Haram. By the way, the said school is a college of THEOLOGY. Let me just leave it there. 

Still in Borno State, a church was razed down, a few were killed and 15 girls were kidnapped in Chibok (again) by Boko Haram insurgents. It seems it is now a crime to be a young girl in Chibok. 

On the Plateau, the bandits struck again at a mining site in Dong village killing 5 people. The same village has not known peace in the last three years or more. 

To other matters around the world, the UK plans to end compulsory weariness of face mask and to water down a lot of restrictions meant to contain coronavirus. It looks like they have finally decided to live with the virus and that's what Nigeria has been doing from the first day she welcomed the virus to her domain. What remains now is for Nigeria to officially copy UK's template and turn it to a working policy. 

See you next week! 

#FreeLeahSharibu 

#SecureNigeria