Dr. Andrew Fluck: A Surprise Expeditionary Visit to FUT Minna!

 If not for Sir Arthur Erdington the British scientist that set out for a scientific expedition to the coast of Africa under the funding of a British University to witness and captured the images of the solar eclipse, a relatively unknown German scientist Albert Einstein will probably not have been popular early in life. It was Erdington that first understood Einstein’s theory of relativity. It was he who proved to the world that Einstein’s theory of relativity was by far more accurate than what another British scientist Sir Isaac Newton earlier proposed decades ago. In what looks like a setback to them in the time of war, the Britain stood bold and announced the emergence of the new theory of relativity by Albert Einstein (the German). The story has it that, it was then the journalists rushed to Einstein’s house at Berlin and broke the news to him. In his own way of expressing joy and surprise, he opened his mouth wide with his tongue hanging-out (and that is the picture we see hanging all over the walls of our institutions of higher learning). Even though there were some correspondences between them,   Einstein never meets Erdington until a year later after the war had ended. And they had a legendry handshake!

When Mr. Olawale Adebayo of the Department of Cyber Security Science, Federal University of Technology Minna, called and asked me to join hands with him and co-author an academic paper based on e-exams security in Nigeria, I never hesitate. At that particular point in time it never occurred to any of us that it will be another reason for a repeat of another expedition to Africa. Actually, we are only looking for the points in case of promotion, but got more than that! We started the research by collating empirical data, analysed it and then came up with a better design for the e-exams system that will increase the security and the integrity of the e-exams results. The outcome of this research work was finally published in the special issue of the International Journal of the Computer, the Internet and Management (IJCIM) in Thailand, under the title “E- Exams System for Nigerian Universities with Emphasis on Security and Result Integrity”. This paper had been indexed and abstracted in many popular academic databases and online search engines including the popular GoogleScholar. Since then, a couple of guys that came across the paper online called or mailed either to enquire more about the research or to congratulate us on the achievement. But our biggest surprise was yet to come!

In another different world, Dr. Andrew Fluck of the University of Tasmania in Australia is also carrying out a similar research in the same area. He came across our paper online and he instantly picked interest in it. He read through the paper and was very impressed with the results we presented. I can imagine him thinking the same way Erdington thought when he first read the Einstein’s paper. I can imagine him wondering if this paper is actually coming from the third world. I can imagine him wondering if all our claims are actually true. I can imagine him thinking about the Hausa proverb that says “Gani ya kori ji” meaning “seeing is believing”. I can also imagine him discussing with his beautiful wife Filomena Bovino about a possible trip to Nigeria. There and then Andrew sent his first mail to Adebayo, and it reads:

            “Dear Dr. Adebayo,

I have read with interest your synthesis and recommendations for e-examinations in Nigeria. From what I have understood, most of these e-examinations are conducted fully online using the Maple Teaching Assistant server package.

I have also been developing an eExam System, which has been used on a far smaller scale than you describe. Please see www.eExams.org for details. By comparison, it allows students to use computers for supervised exams as part of their university assessment requirements. We see this as an essential step in transforming the curriculum with information technology.

On a forthcoming break from the University my wife and I are proposing to visit you in Minna. We hope to stay in Abuja from 20-23 November 2012, and I wonder if this would provide an opportunity for us to discuss these e-exam systems?

Looking to the future, I see a blended eExam system providing resilience in case of communication interruptions or power cuts.

Best wishes - Andrew”

Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (University of Tasmania, Australia)

Of cause what did you expect from young researchers that are just starting a career in academics? So, our response to his mail was very positive. We became very curious and anxious to receive him. Curiosity… they said “kills the cat”. Since then, so many other correspondences also took place between us. True to his words, he crossed the Pacific Ocean, the river Nile, the mountain Kilimanjaro and then passed through the snow, the rains, the heat and the terrible roads in Nigeria before he eventually arrived at FUT Minna with his wife Filomena on Thursday 21st, November, 2012.

From Left: Mr. Olawale Adebayo (First Author), Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor), Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife), Dr. E. N. Onwuka (Ag. Dean SICT), Dr. V. O. Waziri (HOD Cyber Security Science) and Mr. Shafi’i M. Abdulhamid (Second Author). 

Nigerians are very hospitable people and we are not different. So, we welcomed them warmly and the first thing that happens between us was a handshake (even though not legendary)! I can clearly see in his eyes that he was very happy now that he can match our names with our phizogs and our paper with our expressions. We went straight to the business of the day. First of all we reviewed our work and he also introduces us to his own work. We asked each other questions and exchanged ideas. It was there I learnt from him that he had lived and taught in Nigeria a long time ago at Afikpo High School for 2 years, then in Imo State. He was a voluntary service overseas teacher; he helped restored the laboratory block and science teaching after the depredations of the Biafran war (September 1977 to July 1979). Right there, we set the tune for another paper which the three of us will have to co-author in the nearest future and the meeting came to a fruitful end. Then we took them round the school.

Our first point of call was the HOD’s office, Dr. Victor O. Waziri. He is a man with a lot of international experiences so it was easy for him to entertain foreign visitors and he immediately triggered a high level academic discussion with Dr. Andrew Fluck, I can see he enjoyed the few minutes we spent in his office. From there, the HOD leads us to the Dean School of Information and Communication Technology, Dr. E.N. Onwuka. She was very happy to welcome the visitors into her office. To be candid, I think she was the happiest. She was very proud of us and we appreciate her encouragements and support. Even though this visit came unexpected and at a time when some departments in the School are at the peak of preparations for NUC accreditation, she still managed to squeeze out time to attend to us. Her discussion with Andrew focused on the general benefit of the University and the staff. She really wanted to take them to the Deputy Vice Chancellor academics, but Andrew insisted that the time they assigned for the visit has been exhausted and they have to leave. But we still managed to take them direct to e-exams centre to see for themselves. They were very impressed with the arrangements and the facilities at the centre. Just like Erdington, Andrew captured the images of the centre for record keeping and for further expeditionary purposes.

Ladies and gentlemen, I did not allow them to go just like that without asking one final question. So, I turned to the wife and asked her “Madam, what can you say about our school?” and she replied “I like the school, the structures are very artistic and the students are full of energy”. In my mind I said to myself “thank God it is Gidan Kwano campus”. Dr. Andrew Fluck will definitely have a feeling of satisfaction now back in Australia, because again just like Erdington - he came, he saw and he conquered.     

Shafi’i Muhammad Abdulhamid wrote-in from the department of Cyber Security Science, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria.

More Pictures

At the department of Cyber security Science

From Left: Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor), Dr. V. O. Waziri (HOD Cyber Security Science,) Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife,) Mr. Olawale Adebayo (First Author), and Mr. Shafi’i M. Abdulhamid (Second Author). 

At the Dean’s office                                                                                                 

From Left:, Dr. E. N. Onwuka (Ag. Dean SICT), Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife),  Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor) 

From Left: Mr. Olawale Adebayo (First Author), Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor), Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife), Dr. E. N. Onwuka (Ag. Dean SICT), Dr. V. O. Waziri (HOD Cyber Security Science) and Mr.Abdulazeez Isah (Dean’s secretary). 

From Left: Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife), Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor), Mr. Shafi’i M. Abadulhamid(Second Author), Dr. V. O. Waziri (HOD Cyber Security Science). 

The good story must continue…… 

Twitter: @shafzon
FaceBook:  Shafi'i Abdulhamid

Cashless Society in Nigeria: A Game of Soccer without a Keeper!

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s policy to join other developed economies in operating cashless society had been received with so many commendations from both within and outside the country. In my own candid opinion, the CBN Governor and the Economic Team need to be supported to actualise this great idea and also they should be praise for their foresight and courage to take this bold step.  For Nigeria to join the league of cashless economies is something that is inevitable, in short is just a matter of time. So it is better for the country to strategise and join consciously, than to be seated waiting for the wind of change to take us in subconsciously!

Technically, a cashless transaction has to do with electronic means of payment through the cyberspace without the use of physical cash as a legal tender. This transaction is usually carried out by the use of credit or debit cards at Point of Sales (PoS), internet banking, mobile banking or even ATM terminals. If a customer wants to make a payment for goods or services, the customer needs to insert his card into a machine or enter his card details including the personal identification number (PIN). Then the money will be deducted electronically from the customer’s account through the networks to the account of the receiver which is residing somewhere in a secure database. No physical cash involve. Everything here is based on trust! Everyone involve in this type of transaction must trust and depend on the system to make the right deductions from the debtor’s account and also remit the right amount into the creditor’s account. You and I have no control over this! But that is not even the issue I want to point out here.

Sony which is a purely ICT Company with international reputations lost about $3.2billion which is equivalent to about N512billion after its PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment services were hacked just recently. The personal data from more than 100 million accounts were reportedly compromised in the security breach. This amount is more than the estimated revenue to be generated in Lagos state N399.8billion in 2012. Looking further also shows that the said amount is more than the budget of the same state in the same year, which is N491.9billion. I am using Lagos state as an example because its economy generates more revenue than any other state in the Federation and it was used by the CBN to pilot test the cashless policy before implementing it nationwide. This type of attack occurs every day over the cyberspace, some were reported, some not reported and others even passed unnoticed. But still, someone may wonder, what is it that I am trying to bring out in this write-up? And I can easily answer that in one word; security. This is because you cannot play the game of soccer without a keeper!

The target of most malicious hackers is to steal personal information such as credit card numbers, or to conduct banking transactions without authorized permission. In addition, they could commit identification (ID) fraud by falsely presenting stolen identification to impersonate victims in exchange of goods and services in this virtual cashless economy. These misconducts could cause huge losses and creditability damage to innocent victims. Shhh… before you dismiss this information as being only a foreign trick, you should remember that seated third in the world ranking of cybercrimes for three consecutive years is my beloved country Nigeria! But more importantly, we should always bear it at the back of our minds that the cyberspace does not have respect for national boundaries and is not restricted by geographical locations. A hacker may be relaxing at the comfort of his living room in California or in the Chinese city of Hong Kong and still penetrate the so called secured databases in the CBN at Abuja. Now the question is how secure is our databases and our cyberspace in general to embark on cashless economy? Do we really have the equipments and expertise in cyber forensic and network penetration testing to police and prevent our cashless society? Do we really have adequate laws to prosecute offenders when they are eventually caught? These are the questions that are still begging for answers.

Last year, the National Assembly eventually passed into law the Freedom of Information Bill (FoI) and the Nigerian media whom we all know supported it in totality jubilated and sang the victory song. It is of cause a remarkable achievement, but what many people need to understand is that information is now mostly in electronic form.  For example, in a cashless economy, instead of carrying the notes or coins, you carry its equivalent information in a chip. Therefore, to me passing the FoI into law is just half work done. The other half that I consider to be the most important is the Cybercrime Bill, which is there at the National Assembly covered with dust! Unless and until the National Assembly dusted and pass the Cybercrime Bill into law as well, we can not prosecute the criminal minded hackers, and the cashless economy will continue to remain very porous to attacks. It is therefore important to mention here that our present Nigerian laws do not recognise electronic evidence and the only way to prosecute cybercriminals is to use the Economics and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Act, which has been proven to be not efficient. It is only the Cybercrime Law that can put our judiciary and the CBN out of this misery. It is therefore eminent that the CBN should begin to drum support for this bill because without it we will all be playing the game of soccer with an empty net!

It will be a great injustice to roundup this article without proffering some measures that can be use to manage our present predicaments. In a cashless society, financial threats against organizations and individuals are multi-faceted. Hackers and crackers have greatly threatened information transmission over the virtual world. Many corporations in the advance world have applied multi-layered security solutions to prevent threats. System-layered security solutions include system logs, host-based intrusion detection, file encryption, identity-based or role-based access control. Network and infrastructure-layered security solutions include firewall, virtual private network, public key infrastructure, cryptography, network-based intrusion detection, and intrusion prevention. Physical separation of the networks is seen as the fundamental practice to protecting information assets. We should also try and keep pace with the advances in biometric technology.

Good foundation must be laid for every government policy to stand the test of time. This essay is not meant to destructively criticize the cashless policy in other to score cheap political popularity, instead it is meant to point out the loopholes, weaknesses and the enormous challenges that lay ahead, so that we can re-strategise and triumph over it collectively. If any government policy fails, we must first of all look at it as the failure of the nation not the head of that organ alone. We must all come together to help build a better Nigeria for the peace and progress of our dear nation.

May God help Nigeria, amin.

Shafi’i Muhammad Abdulhamid is writing from the first ever and the only Cyber Security Science Department in Sub-Sahara Africa, Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State. 

Twitter: @shafzon
FaceBook:  Shafi'i Abdulhamid

PUBLISHED IN;

1.  PointBlankNews.com, "Cashless Society in Nigeria: A Game of Soccer without a Keeper!",
November 6, 2012.


2.  Gamji.com, "Cashless Society in Nigeria: A Game of Soccer without a Keeper!"

3.  NigeriaCalabash, "Cashless Society in Nigeria: A Game of Soccer without a Keeper!", Thu, 08/11/2012 - 09:50

4.  Peoples Daily under the title "A Game of Soccer without Keeper", 08/11/2012

Gonin Gora: A Death Spot in Kaduna!

Gonin Gora is a town located along Kaduna - Abuja express way at Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna state. It is just a kilometre drive after taking the turn that will lead to the Federal Capital city from the Kaduna Western by-pass flyover bridge. The town have become a major transit route for all travelers coming from Abuja or Niger passing through Kaduna to Zaria or Kano. But instead of the people of Gonin Gora to seize this golden opportunity and be making brisk businesses with the travelers, they have turned the area into a very horrendous dead zone! Even with the presence of military check-points, no traveler is willing to stop in the town unless if it is absolutely necessary. Many travelers will be very happy if they can pass the town with a velocity of 200km/h.

The area became popular due to the constant reoccurring notorious killings and burning of innocent travelers on the express-way. Now it is like a habit to them, anytime there is crisis in any part of the state or country, they quickly jump out in their numbers and block the express way – stop, kill, loot and burn innocent travelers and their cars, all in the name of reprisal! Some of the unforgettable memories includes; the 2011 post election violence and the recent Kaduna bomb blast.

I passed through Gonin Gora three weeks after the 2011 post election violence had been brought under control, but still I counted 47 scraps of burnt cars and busses by the road side. At that time, it was said that most of the cars have been moved away from the spot. The number of deaths at Gonin Gora was estimated by many newspapers to have run into hundreds. Many prominent people also lost their dear lives at the deadly spot and that includes a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Sabon Gari local government area of Kaduna state Late Major Abdullahi Ibrahim (May his soul rest in peace, amin) who was burnt beyond recognition. I still remember how a good friend of mine, who happens to be a PhD student at ABU Zaria almost met his waterloo at Gonin Gora. The violence sparked when he was just about to enter the town on his way coming from Minna to Zaria. He saw from far when the cars that are right in front of him were attacked and burnt to ashes, he narrowly escaped and turned back because nobody in his right senses will enter a deathtrap when he saw one.     

The most recent attack was in June this year, immediately after the news broke that some places of worship have been bombed in Kaduna and Zaria. Gonin Gora stroked again! This time around two of my friends narrowly escaped death. The first one was on his way going to Kaduna for NECO examination monitoring and the second one was on the way to school in Zaria. Both of them narrated how the Gonin Gora youths burnt down some places of worship, shops and also attacked and massacred so many innocent travelers including some soldiers. These two guys took cover in the most unlikely places for them to save their poor souls. To my greatest surprise few days later, the Chiefdom of Gonin Gora Yusuf Sarki Doma came out to deny any of such killings takes place in his constituency, he said it was all exaggerations by the media (Blueprint Newspaper, 22^nd June, 2012). But it wasn’t long when someone posted the pictures of the killings online for the world to judge. 

In another article titled “Gonin Gora: Kaduna’s Bermuda Triangle of Sort” (Nigeria Intel, 1^st July, 2012), the writer suggested that a permanent Military Barrack should be stationed in Gonin Gora in order to advert future killings and also safe guard the express way. In a related development, the Emir of Katsina Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman called on the Federal Government to dismantle the Gonin Gora town (Daily Trust Newspaper, 10 July, 2012). These two suggestions did not go down well with so many Nigerians that have sectional minds. But the truth is that, a stitch in time saves nine. And if the STF can order the Fulani communities in Jos and environs to vacate their ancestral homes within 48 hours without telling them where to relocate to, then the suggestion of the Emir of Katsina to dismantle Gonin Gora may not be too hash after all.  

Before you begin to pass irrational judgments, you should also remember that there are other towns and villages around the area that do not participate in such killings. Katari is predominantly Christian community and Maraban Gayan which is predominantly Muslim community but they do not participate in such killings. Then, why Gonin Gora always? My brothers and sisters any time you are going to or leaving Kaduna through the Abuja express way, Gonin Gora is the place to avoid. This warning is irrespective of your religion, tribe or colour.

Just few days back there was rumors that NYSC camp in Bauchi have been bombed and the first thing that came to my mind was Gonin Gora may strike again. Thank God the rumor turns out to be false.  But I still want to draw the attention of the Government and NYSC authorities to Gonin Gora, because the death spot is just 7km away from the Kaduna state NYSC camp! A word is enough for the wise.

May God help this great country, amin.

Twitter: @shafiihamidu
FaceBook:  Shafi'i Hamidu

PUBLISHED IN:

1. This article was first published at PointBlankNews.com (July 25, 2012), "Gonin Gora: A Death Spot in Kaduna!"

2.  Check THE NATION newspaper 26 July, 2012 the same article was published under the title "Government Should Pay Attention to Gonin Gora", page 20.

3.  The same article was also Published on July 29th, 2012 at FocusNigeria.com under the title: "Gonin Gora: A Death Spot in Kaduna!"

DemoCrazy Day Celebration in Nigeria!

“Democracy is a difficult kind of government. It requires the highest qualities of self-discipline, restraint, a willingness to make commitments and sacrifices for the general interest, and it also requires knowledge.” John F. Kennedy,  Former American President.

The concept of democracy was born out of the desire to make sacrifices and show commitments to the entire country. In Nigeria today, the story is completely different. It is all about struggling to be in a position where one will participate in milking the country dry. The politicians in Nigeria can not sacrifices for anybody but their pockets and they have so many phrases used to encourage themselves and unjustly justify their actions, these includes; if you can’t beat them you join them, where you work is where you chop, eating the national cake etc. And now that the President is watching the members of his cabinet, friends and relatives are eating the cake in trillions, it is time to put-up a mega celebration – DemoCrazy Day!    

I used to think that celebration is for positive landmark achievements, but in Nigeria the story is different. People celebrate when in the actually sense they are suppose to be mourning! People are celebrated when in the actual sense they are suppose to be prosecuted! While some other people are free when in the actual sense they are suppose to be in the jail! Many Nigerians died because of insecurity in the country (Boko Haram and MEND insurgences), lack of accessibility to their hard-earned pension funds,  lack of good access roads, lack of access to good healthcare facilities, the list is endless. But still the president is sitting tight while innocent Nigerians kept suffering and dying.

Desperate situation needs desperate measures! So we all woke-up in the morning with high expectations to listen to the presidential address on DemoCrazy day. Thinking that Mr. President will announce some desperate steps to save his weak and decaying government. But what did we got? Another show to distract Nigerians from the main issues at hand. He started by recalling the martyrdom of Chief MKO Abiola, whose presume victory in the 1993 Presidential election and death , while in custody, proved to be the catalyst for the people’s pro-democracy uprising. And then ended the address by renaming UNILAG to become Moshood Abiola University, Lagos (MAULAG). Being the President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces he has all the rights to change or rename any Federal institution and I don’t have any problem with that. But the truth of the matter is that, bringing back the memories of June 12 election is a deliberate attempt to distract the attention of Nigerians from the real problems on ground and also from the substance or lies which the address contains. The question is, what are the steps taken by Mr. President to improve the educational sector apart from renaming UNILAG? The 27.5% teachers salary increment and the ASUU 2009 agreements are yet to be implemented by the government. Teacher’s take home pay can not take them to the gates of their various schools. The students are paying exorbitant fees without quality laboratories and other teaching materials.  And yet Mr. President is only interested in changing University nomenclature to score cheap political goals.     

Now lets look at the so-called subsistence in the address. First the economic indicators as presented by Mr. President “In 2011, our economy grew by 7.45%. As at mid-May 2012, our foreign exchange reserves had risen to $37.02 billion, the highest level in 21 months. We have stabilized and improved our fiscal regime. We brought the fiscal deficit down to 2. 85% of GDP from 2.9% in 2011. We reduced recurrent expenditures from 74% to 71% and reduced domestic borrowing from N852 billion in 2011 to N744 billion in 2012. We cut out over N100 billion of non-essential expenditure and increased our internally generated revenue from N200 billion to N467 billion”. Mr. President what would you say about the high rate of inflation caused by your government as a result of fuel subsidy removal policy? The masses don’t want to hear about figures and numbers which they will never see. What they are simply asking for is to be able to afford food, clothes, shelter, kerosene, fuel, electricity and other basic amenities. Mr. president, your citizens are suffering in hunger, they can’t afford cloths and you are here telling them about foreign reserve. Oh, are you not the one that came out last year to tell us that at a point in your life time you do not have even a shoe to wear but you struggle to get a PhD and became successful in life? Mr. President can you please tell us how many Nigerians did you put off the street without a shoe within the past one year?

Secondly, Mr. President also said and I quote “By mid 2010, the national power output was about 2, 800 MW. By the end of 2011, we reached a peak of more than 4, 000 MW. A National Gas Emergency Plan has also been launched to redress the problem of gas supply which are essentially due to poor planning.”  As far as Nigerian citizens are concern this is just another number! Within the said period, what we are witnessing is a drop in electricity output. Can someone please remind Mr. President that his government is also planning to increase the electricity tariff by June 2012. This is a fact because the minister of information Mr. Labaran Makun reaffirms that almost immediately after the presidential address, he said “there will be no going back on the new electricity tariff by June”.

Other things in the address are just mere plans and stories, which of course Nigerians are very familiar with even during the previous administrations. “Democracy means choosing your dictators, after they've told you what it is you want to hear” - Alan Coren (1938).

On the eve of the DemoCrazy Day, Mr. President and some of his cabinet members attended a Church service to pray for Nigerian DemoCrazy. During the prayers, the Preacher offered a prayerful curse against corrupt public office holders. Mr. President and his gangs in front of the cameras intentionally refused to say “amen” to the prayers, a simple four-letter word. The spokesperson for the President, Dr. Reuben Abati later respondent to the accusations by saying that the President have already exhausted the number of “amens”  he can say per Church or Mosque service. We are still waiting for Abati to show us that portion of the constitution that says the President have a fixed number of amens he can offer per service as he claimed.

During the presidential address Nigerians also saw another explanation to why it will be very difficult for Mr. President to say amen to corruption prayers! This is because, in the address he refused to address the recent corruption cases labeled against his administration. For example, the $1.1bn Malabu oil scam, N2.5 trillion of the fuel subsidy scam and N60billion that disappeared in the pension scam. Nigerians hope to have more courageous Preachers that will continue to pour down this type of prayers everywhere you go Mr. President.

Mr. President we wish you well in your effort to restructure this country, but you should also remember that you are writing history for yourself. How did you want to be remembered as a president?

"Democracy is like the experience of life itself - always changing, infinite in its variety, sometimes turbulent and all the more valuable for having been tested for adversity." (jimmy carter Speech to Parliament of India June 2, 1978). 



God bless Nigeria!

FUT Minna, Alumni Decides 2012 – Against All Odds!

As a longtime political observer and commentator, over the years I have seen so many instances where the Executives of a union/party before a congress/convention will stage-plan or preplan what they want their members to know, what they want them to believe, what they want them to act-on and consequently what they want them to adopt as a resolution or even hand-pick and install someone as their new leader. In most cases with the help of some of their loyalists, they end up deceiving the entire members. A good example of this is the recent PDP Kangaroo arrangement that brought Alhaji Bamanga Tukur (longtime Chairman, African Business Round-Table) to be the consensus leader of the party. Little wonder though the former Executive Governor of Lagos state Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinimbu ones redefine the PDP acronym as People Deceiving People. Did he said deceiving? Yes, deceiving as in deception!

We all smelt fish when we came to the University Auditorium at the time of the Alumni meeting and discovered that the venue have been suddenly changed to the School of Agric Conference Hall without prior notice. When we asked for an explanation. It was said that the Alumni does not have permission at the time to use the venue even though they advertised it. But we all gave them the benefit of doubt and moved to the new venue with some little resistance. The meeting officially started around 5pm as against the slated time of 4pm, but that is normal in Africa.

Item number 4(b) on the agenda was the financial report between July 2009 – 14th April 2012 which was signed and read by the Interim Financial Secretary, Dr. J. O. Oyero and summarised here as follows. Income: up to 2008 Alumni Levy Deductions and Membership Dues was N4,421,784.52 and it was the same thing with the total income. Expenditures: Car purchase at the rate of N2,200,000.00, maintenance, repairs and fuelling cost N400,410.00, travelling for mobilization of chapters cost N603,560.00, travelling for the inauguration of Port Harcourt chapter cost N206,000.00, hosting of Alumni conference (2010 and 2012) cost N520,000.00, wedding gift to an Alumnus N5,000.00 and, printing and stationary N50,000.00. A total expenditure of N3,984,970.00 and a balance of N436,814.52. This report was adopted by the members of congress after a heated debate.

After so many delays it was finally time for the Election. The Acting/Protem President Dr. Abdulmojeed Tunji Ijaiya dusted the draft constitution and read from it a section that says “elections shall be by five delegates representing each chapter of the Alumni”. Forgetting that during their four years stay in office as Protem Excos they were only able to hurriedly inaugurated Port Harcourt chapter last month, but even Minna chapter have not been inaugurated. By implication, only Port Harcourt chapter are eligible to vote. It was immediately discovered that the Port Harcourt chapter were able to send only one person to represent them at the event! This was the beginning of chaos, negative and positive reactions from the angry crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you can recall we have been calling on the Protem Excos to constitute an Electoral Committee that will look at the constitution and bring out guidelines for the election, but they intentionally refused. We also called on them times without number to release the Election Guidelines as it was contained in the draft constitution, they still refused. At a point I begin to wonder if the Freedom of Information bill have been actually passed into law by the Nigerian National Assembly, because the Protem Excos refused to release the vital information needed to carryout an election. Only for the Protem President to come out and tell us that because of the above constitutional clause the election can not hold. After that there were so many suggestions and recommendations on the way forward must of them preplanned. But the person that eventually saved the day was Mr. Isaac, one time President of Physics Students, he was popularly known as 2pac, in his usual Makavelli style moved a motion for the immediate dissolution of the Protem Excos and to constitute another Acting Excos that will stir the affairs of the Alumni for the next two years. That motion was seconded by my dear Comrade Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh, the present ASUU Chairman. Which effectively marks the end of their tenure and they where asked to immediately vacate the high table and join other members in the crowd. Let us not forget that the mandate given to them in 2008 was to inaugurate many Alumni branches across the nation and also to help design a constitution for the Alumni. Therefore, history will remember them as the Protem Excos that spent about N4million over a period of 4years, but only bought a car and hurriedly inaugurated one local chapter (Port Harcourt) towards the end of their tenure.

Thank God the Vice Chancellor sent a representative the Director Advancement and Development Office (ADO) under which the Alumni office is, Prof. Udensi from Physics department. And also the first ever Professor produced by the Alumni, Prof. O. Morenikeji (URP), these are the only two people that remained on the high table. Then the Director took over the event and called for nominations which the members nominated three people for the post of the Acting President, they are: the unbendable Dr. Jiya Mohammed, the young vibrant Mr. Olurotimi Kemiki and, the other contestant is Abuja based, he was the one time adviser to former Niger state first lady, Senator Zainab Kure. After the votes were counted, Dr. Jiya Mohammed got 83 votes to emerged as the winner against all odds, Mr. Olurotimi Kemiki came second with 42 votes and the Abuja based candidate came last with 15 votes. Four other members were also elected to join Dr. Jiya Mohammed in the new acting cabinet.

After the election, the Director ADO reiterates the new mandate given to the New Acting Excos under the leadership of Dr. Jiya Mohammed which are; to amend and produce a standing constitution for the Alumni and to inaugurates branches across the country within two years. At the close of events, we all congratulated the new Acting Excos for their victories, we will also not stop reminding them about the mandate given to them. We pray God will guide them in the right direction to achieve success, amin.

Before I roundup this commentary, I want to say a little about the man called Mr. Olurotimi Kemiki. I did not know him before, in short I only got to know him as a result of this election. But within this short time of knowing him, I’m very impressed with his democratic spirit, his vibrancy and his calmness. He was the Former Protem Vice President of the Alumni and he contested for the Presidency and lost honourably to a better candidate Dr. Jiya Mohammed. Investigations shows that, during Kemiki’s tenure as Protem Vice President in the dissolved cabinet, between him and his President it was like the case of Obasanjo and Atiku. Against all odds he contested for the election and lost honourably. But he demonstrated the sprit of commitment and self-service . Bravo Kemiki!

Lastly, I want to end with the words of the Chief Servant of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu. After the occupy Nigeria fuel subsidy protest turns violent in Minna, he said in a National broadcast and I quote “We have learnt not to underrate the power of the masses and we also learnt not to underrate the power of number because they can make you and they can also break you!”.

Please share this piece to all your FUT Minna Alumni friends.

Thank you.

God bless FUT Minna,

God bless Nigeria.