Prof. Faruk Buba is currently leading the affairs at UMTH

By: Balami Lazarus

The health sector has witnessed positive changes, with hospitals serving as agents of healthcare service delivery for patients and those in need of medical services.

Likewise, our health institution, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), contributes to healthcare services, and despite the challenges faced, the CMD Prof. Faruk Buba will no doubt make a difference.

Aside from providing medical and healthcare, UMTH is a training institution for medical students; it also provides space for medical research and development (R&D) in various fields of medicines, which UMTH is long known for.

Whenever an organization or institution has a new chief executive, expectations are always high. The case of UMTH is not exceptional, as Prof. Faruk Buba now takes charge as the 9th Chief Medical Director of UMTH.

The atmosphere presently at UMTH is one of expectations of positive changes and performance to reset and reboot the hospital to engage staff and workers to deliver effective, efficient, and quality healthcare services.

UMTH under the leadership of Prof. Buba shall be better than he met it, going by his medical and administrative experiences/positions he held before: Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC), Chairman Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (UMTH), Director of Ahmed Bola Tinubu ICT Centre, among other positions held.

Prof. Faruk Buba was born some 57 years ago. A professor of cardiology/consultant. He attended Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and began his medical career with UMTH and rose to where he is today. He hails from Gombe State.

Balalami, Publisher/Columnist 08036779290

Prof. Faruk Buba is currently leading the affairs at UMTH

SHOSA: Celebrating Excellence as Old Students Prepares to Rekindle Memories

By: Balami Lazarus

This piece is a flashback: a package of wholesome embodiments of amazing memories that are part of many of us who are still alive as ex-students of Plato College Sharam-Kanke, Plateau State.

Looking back at memory lane, you reading this work will concur with me that Old Students Associations of Schools has always rekindled memories of nostalgic feelings, and there you are; back to those good old days as boys and girls where our joy, happiness, laughter, jokes, and pranks reside with some bittered dots of anger triggered by disciplines/punishments from teachers and bullying seniors.

As an old boy of Plato College, Sharam has no regrets about passing through the said secondary school. Many others and I have every cause to appreciate God for being alive and in good health.

I believed that all Sharamites (Platonians, my creation) alive shall and will not easily forget Dr. Sumuila Ndayako of blessed memories, who was the Rector of the school for impacting knowledge and disciplines that have shaped our lives in many ways in line with the school motto “know thyself and the universe,” believing many of us have keyed into this.

Therefore, the Sharam Old Students Association (Shosa) of Plato College Sharam, Jos Chapter, prepares to host this year (2026) National Convention, where her boys and girls, who are today men, women, and grandparents, are looking forward to meeting and celebrating excellence.

The National Convention shall be an opportunity that will provide great reunion of togetherness to rekindle memories of secondary school days where Sharamites that I called Platonians of Plato College Sharam shall again meet in recollection of boys and girls, seniors and juniors.

In spite of current challenges, Shosa is forging ahead. And this year the National Convention has been slated for the 20th to 21st of November 2026 in the city of Jos, with the theme yet to be announced.

It is on record that most Old Students Associations on the Plateau, including Shosa, are contributing positively to the state and to nation building in both public and private sectors.

As a member of some clubs, societies, unions, and associations, I have observed that the challenges of such groups are lack of financial commitment in the payments of dues and failure to contribute when the needs arise and equally not attending meetings.

Similarly, few members are the holders of associations like my Shosa, where few are truly committed to the cause of my alma mater.

The lack of financial commitment and the unconcerned attitudes of most who claimed to be members are alarming in most ex-student associations in our nation.

Let me be raw here: whenever in any association there will be a celebration, members by default are always in large numbers. And most times outnumbering the serious ones.

What are the attractive elements of such a change of gear?

Balami, Publisher/Columnist 08036779290

SHOSA: Celebrating Excellence as Old Students Prepares to Rekindle Memories

The British Massacres and Lugard’s Punitive Expeditions in Nigerian History

By: Balami Lazarus

Are we back to the days of Lord Fredrick Lugard? Nigeria is once again bleeding with innocent bloods caused by terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers.

And that there has never been in the annals of Nigerian history a chapter or even a complete page or paragraph that fully mentioned or explained the punitive expeditions of Lord Frederick Lugard’s massacres in Nigeria. I am yet to see that. But rather, he was hailed as the hero of amalgamation, which gave birth to modern Nigeria.

Similarly, today the aforesaid criminals are recognized and are printed and electronic.

From the late 18th century to the dawn of the 19th century was a period of colonial reformations where the north and the south stood as protectorates administered by the British government from Lagos as her crown colony.

Historical developments in both the north and south of the Niger were trials of blood, bloods of innocent Nigerians; Lokoja was the confluence of these bloods. These periods were marked by Lugard’s expeditions of massacres, killings, and punitive and wastage of human lives and resources.

Lord Frederick Lugard was brutal and ruthless, a British army officer who was known to have caused the deaths of many Nigerians in the protectorates that later made up the nation known, called, and addressed as Nigeria.

Lugard’s administration of Nigeria was an expedition of atrocities, killings, and massacres where terror was the rule of law. Towns and villages that showed resistance were dealt with mercilessly, resulting in massacres.

Let me reel out a few of Lugard’s punitive and bloody expeditions.

Akassa raid/Brass oil war (1895). Hundreds were killed. Akassa burnt down. Benin raid (1897). Over a thousand men and women were massacred, and historical works of art, among other treasures, were looted. Benin City was burnt down.

Sultan Attahiru the first and his over 1000 followers were mercilessly killed at Burmi in 1903 in present Gombe state. The most annoying thing about this was that Attahiru was pursued by Lugard and his soldiers and subsequently massacred them.

The Satiru massacres of 1906 were one of the worst punitive expeditions in the then Northern Protectorate carried out by Lord Frederick, where 2000 men were killed and Satiru was wiped out completely on the map of modern Nigeria as a town.

There were the Ekumeku massacres (1898-1911). Aba women riot (1929), where women were shot and killed. There were also the Iva Valley/Enugu Colliery massacres (1949).

There were pockets of punitive expeditions in both the protectorates. However, South Bled much longer, right from 1890 to 1949. While North conquest was sharp and short (1900-1907).

The colonialization process of Nigeria no doubt came with punitive expeditions and massacres. Therefore, Lord Frederick Lugard’s presence in the history of Nigeria is a subject of study. Over to historians and researchers.

Balami, a Publisher/Columnist, 08036779290

The British Massacres and Lugard’s Punitive Expeditions in Nigerian History