Pharm. Samuel Ishaya Gyang: Compass for Future Dividends of Political Democracy

By: Balami Lazarus

I have been for youths’ growth and progress in either trades, vocations, professions, or any other legitimate endeavors that will self-empower them or be contributions to their communities later in life.

Before this write-up, I made several attempts to meet and speak with one of the young politicians on the Plateau, but all my efforts failed. Therefore, I decided to put down what I knew personally about the aforementioned political personality and equally what I was able to gather from investigations about this young politician in question who belongs to the youth gallery of politicians on the Plateau.

These young politicians are educated, energetic, focused, and professionals in their chosen careers. They are full of ideas of good governance, excellent blueprints, and roadmaps to future human and capital developments for progress in the realms of our political democracy with clarity of purpose and objectives that reflects our country’s motto, ‘unity and faith, peace and progress.’

The 1999 phase of our political democracy has ushered in mass numbers of youths into the political space, where they are actively participating in meaningful politicking, aspiring for elective positions under a political party of their choice, but with the passage of time, 25 years down the democratic line, we have seen and experienced the contributions of these young, able politicians with a quantum leap in political activities and contributions. Today you find them some elective positions, some with political appointments at both state and federal levels. Unlike in past years, where it was uncommon to find youths as young politicians occupying elective positions, talk less of political appointments. Rather, they are used as political thugs and later dumped when elections are over.

But here on the Plateau, this new dawn has provided the youths who are purposeful the chance and space to participate and vie for political offices, having fulfilled all necessary requirements. I hereby in this work correctly, sincerely, and truthfully declare and attest as to it as a political affidavit that you can find them in many political elective offices and appointments as council chairmen, secretaries, members of assembly aides, and councillors, to mention but a few.

Moreover, my political findings have clearly revealed that Plateau State is a common ground for youth in politics. And more importantly, it has been a healthy launching pad where many more shall reach higher elective positions.

Hon. (Pharm) Samuel Ishaya Gyang is one among such young politicians on the Plateau that has willingly decided to offer himself to serve his people through politics. Investigations have shown that Samuel Gyang is well accepted by the larger members of his community/constituency—Jos Northwest. And to a larger extent, Pharmacist Gyang has gone beyond the Jos North Local Government Area, where he served as secretary with good political records of performance. ‘We have felt him in the distributions of fertilizers in the local government.’

Political rumors going around said that Hon. Samuel Ishaya Gyang is likely to contest once again for the House of Assembly, Jos Northwestconstituency.

Well, there is nothing bad in that. The political spreadsheet is wide and large enough to contain aspirants. Samuel Gyang, keep up the good work and aspire for other high political offices.

Balami, a publisher/columnist. 08036779290

Pharm. Samuel Ishaya Gyang: Compass for Future Dividends of Political Democracy

My binoculars: Nigeria’s lingering security Challenges 65 years after, DAPOWA and General Musa’s non Kinetic approach to ending the brutal wars

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Watchers of war campaigns in the different theatres in the country can easily tell you that if there is any active celebrated warrior against insurgents in Nigeria today, it is General Chris Musa, Nigeria’s Defense Chief. As a matter of fact, if Army headquarters had allowed this General to stay a year longer in the Hadin Kai theatre as Commander (TC), the war in the North East of the country would have ended using the kinetic. This is because, just before his transfer to the respected infantry corp, he had concluded plans to go after the insurgents in the belly of the Tumbus Islands which had always been the most difficult terrain in the lake Chad for previous TCs who had dared to walk the north east of Nigeria.

The Hadin kai war theatre has seen quite a number of Major Generals since the command and control centre of the entire military was moved from Abuja to Maiduguri. Army Generals like Chris Musa came around during a terrible period of the history of the war. Manpower was at its lowest ebb while other theatres in the country needed more boots on the ground too. Equipment was not enough to effectively stand up to the back and forth being encountered in the front lines of the Hadin kai theatre. The list goes on and on and 16 October ones have passed by with the military cemetery on baga road keeps expanding yet no end in sight.
We the war correspondents had a litany of woes to narrate each time our troops were hurt and some buried like it happened in Metele. Others were merely missing in action like it happened during the Vietnamese war. Now that we have a palace full of generals, it is no longer a case of using the theatres as practicals for the boys. Most of the generals who saw wars in Freetown, Port Loko, Bo, Moyamba, Monrovia up to the failed Sudan are struggling to pin their troops down.

Stabilizing the uncertainties in the Palace

General Farouk Yahaya had just started to understand the terrain and tactical inadequacies in terms of logistics and men in the Hadin Kai theatre. The then serving Army Chief Attahiru suddenly dies in a plane crash. There was deep uncertainty in the Palace because so many Generals saw themselves as qualified to take over his position. But General Farouk had to proceed when it was clear that he must move from the front line to head the Army as the new Chief following the demise of Chief Attahiru in the plane crash. Thus creating the vacancy for General Chris Musa who had become the new TC. General Musa was fortunate, he came to replace General Farouk Yahaya who had to leave the theatre suddenly to become the nation’s Army Chief. For us watchers, we knew that this sudden twist with fortune was when oga Farouk had a complete overview of the realities on ground and how to counter same. Happily, that was why some of us felt very safe with the disposition and management style of the new TC then General Chris Musa.

Of course, he was getting better equipment from his predecessor General Farouk who knew where the shoe pinches, having had a very close shave with war confrontation on the frontline with the insurgents. All the Generals who had worked in the command and control centre here in Maiduguri as TC’s had their strengths and weaknesses. Watchers could easily sense these idiosyncratic tendencies by the way they respond to embarrassing situations like the mistakes of their field commanders who lost equipment and men. Or the way some carried the media as vital partners in the war against terror.
Between the sudden deaths of Chiefs Attahiru and Labaja there was an interregnum of Commanders displaying their strength and weaknesses by the way they handled the Kinetic and non kinetic.But the Chiefs appointed to the Palace never lost focus which is ending the war till this day that General Abdulsalam Abubakar another celebrated warrior is the TC.

Painfully, for over fifteen years of fighting however, the military had struggled to end the existence of boko haram insurgents in the north east theatre but like an infectious epidemic, the irritants have refused to give up. The more they are taken out or degraded, the more they find a way to recreate themselves. This back and fourth made nonsense of the efforts of some of these fine officers who have served the country here. Most of the TC’s mixed the kinetic and non kinetic while some maintained their grip specifically with the kinetic because their political masters obviously will not negotiate with terrorists. But how long shall we go on fighting a non conventional war like this? Does the political leadership of this country have a plan B to avoid this mounting loss of resources?

Improving on the infusion of the non kinetic as a matter of policy in Counter Terrorism

For the last decade I have watched this war in the theatre, one can easily pick out those TC’s who had grip of the kinetic and non kinetic. General Musa was a strong kinetic advocate whose vision was to end the war in record time. Army policy on how long they stay in the front line deprived us of his on the spot expertise to march troops into the Tumbus.

He however started developing non kinetic blue prints by involving the media in all his doings before leaving. He had a generation of religious people he used to reach out to till this day for them to assist in stopping their wards from being radicalized by the insurgents. He was responsive to the little things that touched on the life of troops.

But for how long will this policy of the kinetic from the military continue in the face of lingering resistance from the insurgents in this asymmetric warfare? Is it possible to win this war with only the kinetic focus which the former and present Commander in Chief are obviously insisting on? Is it not getting to the time to return to the table which has refused to turn in spite of the billions of naira that has been sunk into logistics and the procurement of superior platforms? For watchers of events in the entire theatre, it is actually not as if there has not been a deliberate policy for the non kinetic. It’s just that the burden of application was left on the shoulders of each Theatre Commander as an albatross which they needed to carry as they managed this strange war.

This is obviously why the present Defense Chief General Musa, is now leading from the front on a serious campaign aimed at stepping up the non Kinetic objective to end the war. He recently launched a book titled: ‘Taking A Stand Against Insurgency, Terrorism and Banditry in Nigeria, Admonition to Nigerian Youths’ which was authored by him for the young people within the nation’s war theatres. Even though such a book would be read mostly by students who can read and write, it will surely go a long way in helping out so that such age brackets who are mostly generation Zees would not have to be lured into being radicalized like the corp member who was seized by the insurgents only for him to get to the edge of his freedom which he ultimately rejected and returned to the insurgents whom he called his brothers when doors of freedom was opened for him. Nobody knows if he is still alive out there today.

Why the government should support the building of a fence on our borderline to end insurgency

Recently again, Defence Chief General Musa called for the country’s borders with its four neighbors to be completely fenced to curb the entrance of armed groups amid escalating insecurity.
He made this call in the light of the fact that the military has been over stretched by massive security issues which has sent hundreds of people to the great beyond. General Musa maintained that “border management is very critical,” citing countries like Pakistan with 1,350 km fence with Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia having a 1,400 km barrier with Iraq as successful precedents. This to the General is the first time a top Nigerian official has publicly suggested such a measure to safeguard its sovereignty with other countries, because of the level of insecurity.

Nigeria he pointed borders Niger Republic, Cameroon, Benin, and Chad, which are all grappling with escalating insurgent campaigns across the Sahel. Nigeria’s longest border (1,975 km) is with Cameroon. It also shares 1,500 km with Niger and 85 km with Chad. There is no reason why such a fence should not be built. As a matter of fact, it would create massive employment for hundreds of young people who otherwise would have taken up arms against their own people. This fence General Musa is advocating for can be built purely from the social responsibility of the numerous billionaires the nation has paraded since independence. When this is built, we would have less casualties in the front lines and less women will become widows nation wide.

DEPOWA’s plans for a College or Academy in Abuja for orphans of service personnel.

Meanwhile, in the spirit of the ongoing non kinetic campaign led by the defense chief, his wife Lilian Musa has said that the Association plans a big academy to take care of children of fallen heroes. She made the pronouncement when she came to Maiduguri recently to flag off a thank you campaign for troops who have been sacrificing their lives for the country. Lilian said that the master piece edifice will be completed in phases because of the largeness adding that phase one will be completed in September 2027. Just two years from now. “Every qualified child of a fallen hero will receive automatic scholarship in the school. 100% of kids of fallen heroes will receive scholarship to attend schools nationwide. This from my binoculars is a noble way to reach out to troops who always feel unhappy with the dynamics surrounding their welfare.

Showing gratitude to troops

Lilian appealed to the people to actually see the pains of troops who daily sacrifice their lives nationwide. He expressed satisfaction for the campaign which has just been flagged off in this particular theatre. To this lady who has seen it all in the barracks, the nation must continue to show gratitude to troops for the endless sacrifice and risks they keep taking to keep the people safe.
” Let’s make thank you to troops a household slogan nationwide. As a wife of a soldier, i understands the pains of the troops especially what they have been doing which is why we are around to say thank you in our own way. This thank you tour is actually going to be a movement aimed at bridging the gap between the civil and military sector so that there would synergy.

“I believe also that the media is a critical partner which is why we are having this parley and which is why I want to call upon you to be deeply involved in sharing our campaign stories and visuals to the populace.”

Madam Lilian Commended Governor Babagana Zulum for his support for the troops in the theatre. She said that she was on a nationwide thank you tour and is actually flagging it off from Hadin Kai because of the importance of the theatre to the stability of the country. While weeping openly to sympathize with families who have lost loved ones, Lilian noted that she will God’s willing extend the “thank you” campaign to all active theatres where troops have been fighting to rid the nation of criminals.

My binoculars: Nigeria’s lingering security Challenges 65 years after, DAPOWA and General Musa’s non Kinetic approach to ending the brutal wars

Africana First Publishers: Poor Reading Culture and the Challenges of Book Publishing in Nigeria

By: Balami Lazarus

I was going through my bookshelf looking for a particular bestselling novel when I saw a file that has some records of my work with Africana First Publishers Limited, Onitsha. Going through them was a nostalgia and flashback of traversing around the north to the south of the Niger.

Interestingly, I recalled my colleagues when we used to converge collectively and corporately twice a year for the ‘Epiphany Sales Conference’ in Onitsha at the Book House, the company head office, to assess and evaluate each territory and strategize. It was a period and time for booing and jesting at those lacking behind in discharging their duties in sales and marketing as area managers and educational sales representatives, who are considered the minting arm of the company. I was indeed having fun.

With the resumption of yet another school year, the 2025/2026 academic sessions. And looking back at the book publishing companies in Nigeria, the likes of Africana First Publishers Limited Onitsha, one of the big names in the industry in Nigeria, before the economy started frowning and when the reading culture was above average, and a time when schools and parents were buying books for their libraries and for their children at all levels.

My years of teaching literature in English, where reading is paramount, have given me a continuous tense in the three literary genres: prose, drama, and poetry, and it is a must for students to have all the

texts. This experience has made me see practically that the reading culture is in its coffin, waiting to be nailed finally for burial. I now agreed with one of my friends who recently met me engrossed in a novel and said, ‘Do Nigerians still read books?’Well, for me, you cannot take away books from my life because I love reading, and it is one of my hobbies.

The book publishing business was not of interest to Nigerians until a few decades ago, when some businessmen began to get involved by taking over the control and management of some foreign book publishing companies. Far East Publishers is now Africana First Publishers. Longman is now Learn Africa Publishers. Oxford University Press is today University Press Ibadan. And Macmillan London is addressed as Macmillan (Nigeria) Publishers, among a few others. This tells you that nearly all books used before the emergence of indigenous participation are published by foreign firms and authors.

I came to understand that the book publishing business is capital intensive for what it takes to establish a book publishing company, and being a player in this industry with the current economic difficulties and the very poor reading culture is not encouraging.

Are you aware that there are great differences between publishers and printers? But most people wrongly put them in the same basket, while they are not. Publishers are more of an element in the nature of knowledge contributing to the economy. While printers do the finishing work by printing and binding them into books.

It is a pity today that most book publishing companies are winding up as a result of poor reading culture, economic challenges, and the internet that has sent some packing.

Balami, a publisher/columnist. 08036779290

Africana First Publishers: Poor Reading Culture and the Challenges of Book Publishing in Nigeria