Re: Kalim goes to school

The last reader on the other hand, argues that there’s another perspective on IBBUL, other than what I painted penultimate week. The above subject matter refers. As an educator, I feel sad that children like Kalim can be destroyed instead of encouraged within the Nigerian system. It is a sad commentary on what our situation […]

The last reader on the other hand, argues that there’s another perspective on IBBUL, other than what I painted penultimate week.

The above subject matter refers. As an educator, I feel sad that children like Kalim can be destroyed instead of encouraged within the Nigerian system. It is a sad commentary on what our situation turns prospective and promising future leaders into; but who do you blame? For me, I blame the parents. How could they (I imagine they are educated) allow their child to be so mishandled.
We have become slaves to religious charlatans who under the guise of teaching religious tenets to our children end up turning the teachings of the religion upside down. How many Islamiyya schools are worth their salt? Even though some of us see these lapses, we keep quiet for fear of being ostracized by our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. The consequence of which is mal-adjusted and misinformed children who cannot contribute meaningfully to the present day realities of an intensively capitalist global society.
I keep saying it. The Muslim world should wake up to the current world conspiracy against them. They should start replacing all the old, quasi-literate Islamic tutors of their children to modern day well-learned, broadminded, pragmatic and forward looking ones. This will ensure a gradual build-up of a new youth generation that will take the North out of its present political and economic morass.
Let’s go back to the Montessori school that [said Kalim didn’t pass the test] because he couldn’t write. Must he go to an elite school? There are so many other good private schools that would eagerly accept him and give him good grooming, but Nigerians like the big brand names and going for ego trips and because of this, we are being played for suckers by so-called big schools who in the end do not give us the required results even after spending huge amounts of money on our children’s education.
I am in the field, so I should know Kalim’s parents need to be decisive before the damage becomes irrevocable. They should withdraw him forthwith from that Islamiyya and get him a private moderate Islamic tutor. They should also try an average private school which I guarantee will work the magic. As the principal of a well-established private school in Kaduna, I tell you that most products of these so-called elite schools come back to my school to retake their papers because they couldn’t pass in their so-called big schools.
Ma’salaam.
Hajara Usman ([email protected])
Welcome to Nigeria. My sympathy goes to Kalim.
Khadija Yusuf ([email protected])
Salam. It is just unfortunate.  It’s possible they do not understand the ideals of  Maria Montessori. So please I will advise you to keep your child at home and don’t introduce any reading or writing material to him until he is 4-5 years old.  What he needs now is playing, learning through songs, rhymes etc.  Provide toys for him.
Rasheeda Abba ([email protected])

Re: Do you need PG sponsorship? Are you a Nigerlite?

Dear Sir,
I read your article with the above title and was shocked, angry and filled with unbelief.  My first thought was why do people always believe whatever they are told without really digging out the truth? When my father called my attention to your piece, he instructed that I write to you debunking your claims but I angrily declined because to me I felt it was useless to tell the truth since in Nigeria today (especially in Niger State) whatever a rich man or anyone in power says is the truth.
So my father and I had had a heated argument on whether to reply or not when finally he said the essence is to let you know the truth. I was furious and told him that there was no need to write after all, we are doing just fine without any sponsorship whatsoever.
Having meticulously sponsored us to school, my father is the first man from Borgu (Wawa) to have singlehandedly trained seven of his children up to university level and still sponsoring four of my younger siblings.
Yes, the Vice Chancellor of IBB University may have given thirty to a hundred youths’ scholarship but certainly not to Borgu people. Why did I say so? I have three of my siblings who did quite well at IBBUL but were not given scholarship. Two of them were pioneer students of the university while the third graduated after his sisters.
The first one is Hadiza Asabe Mustapha who graduated with 2.1 and the best student in sociology department in the year 2010. The second is Maryam Elsie Mustapha, also graduated with a 2.1 in Guidance and Counselling also in 2010, while the third is Suleiman Mustapha. Although he graduated with a 2.2 he was however the best graduating student in Agric science in 2013 and because of his astounding result, he won a N50, 000 cash prize which he has since collected.
None of them has a job and none was selected for postgraduate scholarship even after doing an interview organized for graduates of IBBU with a 2.1. Now is this fair? The only person from Borgu who was awarded a scholarship is the son of the Emir of Borgu, Jikantoro, who is now in Malaysia.
Can you please tell us why we are being marginalized? Niger state today gets its highest federal allocation from Borgu local government but only Nupe people ever get established. They say that Borgu people don’t go to school that’s why we are backward but I can categorically tell you that there is no course being studied in Nigeria that you won’t find a graduate from Borgu who is very competent.
Take for instance, I am the first journalist from Borgu, the first female journalist and also will be the first female to get an academic doctorate degree, yet when I applied for scholarship I was also denied. So are we being discriminated against because we are from Borgu local government? Are we to stand and hear all these flamboyant statements and keep quiet?
Please go to IBB University and enquire from genuine sources and what you may find may not be palatable. I know you don’t have the true facts and political statements may also draw you away from the crux of the matter, but know this: no matter the discrimination, indigenes of Borgu will one day overcome marginalization!
Thanks.
Lady Borgu