Deep Thought

 Zulum: Engineering Professor, Dexterity and the Courage of Conviction II By Prof MK Othman Even Zulum's staunchest enemies cannot but agree with the facts that Borno state and, indeed, other states in Nigeria have never experienced remarkable, comprehensive, and significant progress in all aspects of human life and infrastructure similar to the feats recorded in five years of governor Babagana Umara Zulum in Borno State. The recording continues for the next three years.  As mentioned in the first part of this piece, at the commencement of duty as Rector, Zulum was challenged by a shortage of needed resources, disorganized, disarrayed, and disoriented workers, an insecure and ungovernable situation, and an overwhelming threat to lives and properties. These challenges were the tip of the iceberg compared to the gargantuan drawbacks Zulum was confronted with as the new governor of war-torn Borno state. Boko Haram's fierce insurgency, internally displaced persons, broken families...

 Zulum: Engineering Professor, Dexterity and the Courage of Conviction By Prof MK Othman First impression matters much. At the 2013 Annual Conference of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, an amiable personality with a lanky physique and a business-like and diplomatic character approached me to register some agricultural engineering graduates into the NIAE membership fold. He was the Shepherd of the graduates, but instead of bossing them, he was in a jovial interactive conversation with each, his happiness and contentment, very apparent. Soon, I discovered he was the Rector of Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, and the graduates were lecturers of the polytechnic whom he brought to have their first-time participation in the NIAE conference. The rector was Professor Babagana Umara Zulum. Having had my tutelage of the academia in two polytechnics– Katsina Polytechnic (now Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic) and Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, ...

 Re: Israel-Palestine Conflict: Two-State Solution or Unending War By Prof MK Othman As a peace-loving man, I hate to see blood spilling, no matter whose blood. In the last two weeks, I have had to close my sensitive organs against the news of Israel's war on Gaza to avoid developing high blood pressure. The World is watching a calamitous pogrom against the defenseless Gaza people in the name of fishing or wiping out Hamas, and nothing much is done to arrest the situation. Israel is applying the law of disproportionate revenge against the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, thereby jettisoning the enshrined principle of proportional justice in the Holy Book phrase "An eye for an eye." 1,400 Israelites were the estimated victims of Hamas's October 7th attack, but as of last week, Gaza's Ministry of Health estimated the death of over 11,000 Palestinians with more than 27,000 injured people in Gaza, and the counting continues. Most of the victims of the Israeli deadly m...

 Katsinan Dikko: Beyond 100 Days and Matters Arising II By Prof MK Othman   The economy is the second sector receiving priority attention, which interrelates and intertwines with security. Economic activities are primarily agricultural in rural communities, which revolve around the crops-livestock interface as a significant source of livelihood for the people. The rural economy provides food, feed, fodder, and industrial raw materials that give an income stream to the citizens. Consequently, the prosperity of this economy is gladdened as the security situation is enhancing around primary production locations. Alongside the economy, palliatives were provided to the needy, the weak, the vulnerable, and others down the social ladder. Dr. Dikko supervised the distribution and sharing of such palliatives with his presence in many sharing location centers for equity, justice, and fairness. What a marvelous lordship style. Guaranteeing security is an assurance to boosting the economy...

 Katsinan Radda: Beyond 100 Days and Matters Arising By Prof MK Othman   Aspiring to a leadership position is one thing, being at the top is another; they are simply two different scenarios. In the aspiration stage, dreams and fantasies permeate the thought process and produce both workable and seemingly unworkable ideas, making decisions and reasons for action quite difficult. Once one reaches the leadership position, reality brings stresses, challenges, painful choices, and controversial decisions and actions from which problem-solving mechanisms emerge. This puts a new leader in a difficult situation: having to meet the demands and expectations of diverse groups of people. The people are diverse. From those who have secretly opposed the leader’s goals to those who have helped him achieve them, they will flood him with a sea of demands that may be impossible to meet. Without strategic thinking, this problematic situation can prevent the leader from achieving his or her desir...