Deep Thought

 NNPC-Dangote Impasse: Tinubu Should Save Nigerians By Prof MK Othman I had two encounters with Dr. Aliko Dangote. One from a distance when he presented the 2016 ABU Zaria convocation lecture and the other when I was in the ABU Council delegation to condole him over the death of his brother, Alhaji Sani Dangote. In the first encounter, Dangote presented a paper titled "The Role of Entrepreneurship in National Development: The Story of Dangote Group," where he revealed the business model by which his company blossomed into a successful conglomerate, making him the most successful business magnate in Africa. His business touches the lives of several million people in Africa and beyond through direct employment, job and wealth creation, businesses, and philanthropy. The second encounter coincided with the visit of the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) presidential candidate for the 2023 election, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accompanied by then-sitting Governor Abdullahi Umar Gand

 Dogged and Kindhearted Hassan Gimba: Celebrating Four Decades of Bosom Friendship By Prof MK Othman Our friendship, forged in the crucible of the School of Basic Studies of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, was a unique bond that transcended the typical student camaraderie. We were both teenagers and graduates of our secondary schools, where we emerged as local champions and gained admission into the famous school, SBS. Gaining admission into ABU, the most admired university through its famous gateway, SBS was the lofty dream of every form five (final year) student who intellectually constituted the top 5% of their class.  The SBS summer term was a harvest of brilliant students from various secondary schools nationwide whose names were listed in the national newspapers as successful candidates after the entrance examination. Fresh from secondary school, the breeze of academic freedom on the university campus blew as we schemed to find our feet and cope with the cutthroat demands o

 #StopASUUStrike: Can the Nation Afford ASUU’s Strike? By Prof M.K. Othman Perhaps the 10-page Press statement presented to the media by the ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, issuing a 21-day ultimatum was a bit disappointing to ordinary ASUU members. The document did not fully convey the urgent need for action to address the dire state of the public university system nationwide. Perhaps Osodeke was displaying his new diplomatic mien, not to strike a match stick in a highly explosive atmosphere considering the growing tension after the recent hardship protest that claimed many lives with no significant change in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.  This could be why the 21-day ultimatum did not mention the resumption of ASUU's suspended industrial action if the government fails to do what is needed after the warning period. Whatever the case, the truth must be told to avoid repeating the ASUU-FGN imbroglio of yonder. The university system in Nigeria faces several herculean challe