From time to time, I retreat into the fond memories of my youth in Delta State. Between 1992 and 1993, I served in Asaba as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)a predominantly Christian community. In those days, faith was practised with dignity, confidence, and mutual respect. We did not merely observe our religious obligations; we lived them openly, without fear or suspicion.

During Ramadan, we undertook Islamic propagation across rural communities. It was a season of purpose and conviction. Kabir Alabi Garbanow the Weekend Editor of The Guardian newspaperswas then the Leader of the Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria (MCAN) in Delta State. Comrade Muhammad Haruna Ibrahim, today the National President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), was among the active members. So too was Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, now one of Nigerias longest-serving federal lawmakers.

We moved from village to village with copies of the Holy Quran. I still recall the curiosity of villagers encountering it for the first time. Some affectionately described it as the Hausa Bible. Yet many were captivated by the poetic cadence of Yusuf Alis English translation, and some embraced Islam not out of coercion, but conviction.

One memory remains especially poignant. On Sallah day, the late Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Highness Prof. Chike Edozien, hosted a feast for Muslim corpers. He welcomed us warmly, his table adorned with delicaciesincluding exotic wines. Alcohol is forbidden in Islam, but we handled the moment with courtesy and maturity. We honoured his hospitality while observing our faith. There was no tension, no outrage, no viral commentary. In that eradevoid of smartphones and social media toxicitylife was defined by civility and coexistence. Inter-ethnic marriages among corpers were not only common; they were celebrated.

Three decades later, the atmosphere feels different. Today, a harmless opinion can provoke hostility so sharp that one can often predict the critics background merely by their name. The ethno-religious fault lines are so taut that some now openly fantasise about separationas though fragmentation will magically deliver peace. We see the tragic consequences of such divisions in parts of Kaduna and Jos, where invisible walls now separate communities that once lived as neighbours.

Yet, at this very moment, Muslims and Christians across the world are simultaneously immersed in sacred seasonsRamadan and Lent. More than three billion people are engaged in prayer, fasting, and repentance. Separated by theology, yet united by a common human longing: to draw closer to the Creator through discipline and sacrifice.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, commemorates the revelation of the Holy Quran to Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Lent, the forty-day Christian observance preceding Easter, recalls the fasting and temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness.

Muslims fast daily from Suhoor (dawn) to Iftar (sunset), abstaining from food, drink, and negative conduct. Christians observe fasting, almsgiving, and abstinence, marked by Ash Wednesdaya solemn reminder of human mortality and repentance.

Ramadan cultivates TaqwaGod-consciousnessculminating in Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Power, before Eid al-Fitr. Lent calls believers to Metanoiaa transformative turning back to Godleading to Easter, the celebration of resurrection and hope.

For both traditions, hunger is not punishment; it is purification. It strips away distractions and awakens compassion for the vulnerable.

These practices are rooted in a shared prophetic heritage. Abraham fasted. Moses fasted. Jesus fasted. Muhammad fasted. The message across centuries is consistent: voluntary restraint strengthens the soul. The body becomes a bridge to the Divine.

Interfaith unity does not require theological uniformity. It requires recognition of sincerity. Ramadan and Lent are not rivals; they are companionstwo rivers flowing along different paths toward the same vast ocean of Divine Mercy.

The Quran reminds us: O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. (Quran 49:13)

And the Bible commands: Love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

If we can carry the humility of fasting, the empathy born of hunger, and the discipline of prayer beyond our mosques and churches, perhaps we can rediscover the Nigeria I knew in 1992-93a country where faith built bridges rather than barriers.

Ramadan and Lent invite us back to that possibility.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author of An Encounter with the Spymaster
yashuaib@yashuaib.com

The post Ramadan and Lent: A Shared Lesson for Nigerian Muslims and Christians on Faith and Unity appeared first on YAShuaib.

It was through my opinion and feature writings that I won some awards in the university and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at state and national levels. Though I deferred an admission offered to me by the University of Nigeria Nsukka to pursue Masters Programme in PR after I was honored with Automatic Scholarship for being the best Writer during the NYSC, I accepted automatic employments by both the Delta State Government and the Federal Government in 1993 and 1994 respectively.

In my letter of acceptance, I reflected that I would continue to write opinion articles that will be geared towards making Nigeria a better society that every Nigerian will be proud of. My experiences with great Igbos, Itshekiris and Urhobos formed the fulcrum of my early write ups during my youth service and after I started work at the Government House, Asaba. Their leaders, who took me as their son, protected and provided for my needs. Prof. Chike Edozien, the Asagba of Asaba, Chief Paulinus Akpeki and Ugoh of Okpe Kingdom were among some of the great people that made my youth service year and work experience a worthwhile adventure in Delta State.

When I moved to the Federal Civil Service, I never stopped writing. In fact most of my deployments to different offices were largely influenced by my enthusiasm for generating news items, issuing press releases and producing well-informed features stories.

As a Nigerian and a public official, I have always been conscious of my responsibility to ensure that the general public perceives government in a good light. I have strived to be a good ambassador of the government and people of Nigeria. I performed my roles with the best of intentions.

My writings can be divided into two major categories: official and unofficial. A careful perusal of my writings in the media will show that I sign the first category in my capacity as information/PR officer of the different places that I have been posted to. In the second category, I have been careful to make it clear that I write in my personal capacity as a private citizen. To make that point even clearer I affix my personal home address or email to personal opinions.

Since my employment, I have published books, issued over 2000 news releases, wrote news features and personal opinion, all in my bid to promote the activities of government and contribute to the peaceful coexistence of the diverse groups in the country. Most of my writings are accessible on my blog: www.yashuaib.com.

The recent article, which generated a lot of reactions and comments, was not done to malign anyone. Incidentally, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a personality I have a lot of admiration and respect for. I believe that she is aware of this. And so, when I put pen to paper in what has become routine to me to express my viewpoints on some recent appointments into top positions in her ministry, I never expected that it would be perceived negatively. It was to draw her attention to the strong speculations making the rounds which, in my view, she is not only capable of addressing but would do well to be aware of.

Maybe I should add here that during the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration in which Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was also an influential member, I wrote some critical opinion articles on the activities of the president, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Nasir el-Rufai, Mrs. Oby Ekwesili, and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), among others. During the short-lived administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua, I x-rayed some of the president’s policies and those of Segun Adeniyi, his spokesman. I even wrote critical commentaries on my supervising Minister then, Mr. John Odey, who on some occasions, publicly responded to and addressed some of the my issues raised in my write-ups. As late as 2012, I wrote an article on President Goodluck Jonathan with the title “Flood in the Eyes of the President” and it was published in most national dailies. Following this, I received words of encouragement even from some of his aides and was consequently requested to support my postulations with photographs.

The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi, who had intervened several times to resolve the current issue with Madam Minister, is one of the bosses that have tolerated my critical opinions on various issues. We disagree and later agree on issues like normal human beings do.

In essence, encouraging responses that I have received in the past have served as the impetus for me to continue with my cherished hobby. To me, I am simply contributing to the betterment of our country. It was in view of the above, therefore, that I was encouraged to pen the open letter to the Finance Minister on some developments, which I strongly believe she has the capacity to address.

I was initially elated when I received a telephone call from the Minister on Wednesday March 20, 2013 at 6.15pm. Naturally, I was happy that, once again, my effort has yielded fruit. Receiving a call from someone that a reputable international news organization described as one of the most influential women on earth is humbling. I felt jubilant when I heard “Shuaibu, this is Okonjo-Iweala!” However, when she added “Why should you do this to me? You can’t praise me and condemn me and call it constructive criticism. Haba Shuaibu!” I knew that my opinion had not been viewed positively.

Despite the huge difference in age and status, the Minister took her time to explain to me why so much of what I concluded was not the case. During the conversation, the Minister even read portions of my write-up.

While feeling flattered and honored that a world-class technocrat like the minister was humble enough to personally call me and explain her position to me, I couldn’t help wondering why this particular piece attract such concerns and why so much more meaning than I intended has been read to it.

To me, the article was as harmless as every other that I had written in the past. I was still contemplating how to tackle the seeming complications when just a few days afterwards, hate comments and rejoinders pointing out that my article had been inspired by ethnic and religious considerations began to appear in newspapers and Nigerian online forums.

I want to emphasise, once again, that my article was written with the purest of intentions, and even a cursory internet search will reveal that I have done this religiously in the last 20 years. Contrary to insinuations of ethnocentrism, sectionalism and sponsorship in many of the reactions and rejoinders to the opinion, I take full responsibility for the views that were expressed. I have never written with, or caused articles to be published with malice. I am a strong believer in the oneness and potentials of this country, and most of my opinions have been centred on great Nigerians that I admire and will not want to see fall into disrepute.

Despite this, however, I have realised that the said opinion has caused great discomfort to some individuals and groups. I want to reassure my elders and my good brothers and sisters, especially from a section of the country, who might have felt offended by my write-up that I harbor no grudge against them. I will not like to see this discomfort and the continuation of unnecessary hate comments. After all, we are one big family.

Yushau A. Shuaib
www.yashuaib.com

The post My Writings and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appeared first on YAShuaib.

The truth is that, every corps member has to be posted somewhere irrespective of beauty or facial constitution. It may interest you to know that even the oil companies do have needs for corps members with disciplines other than engineering. Corps members with english, administration, accountancy and languages as their majors, are not uncommon to be absorbed in the oil companies.

The policy of the NYSC is to post corps members to their areas of specialization and on requests. And, if for obvious reason, the requests are filled, it is not that uncommon for any corps member to be sent to perform a duty other than what he or she had been trained for, but, within the ability of the graduate. As a matter of policy, a deliberate attempt is made at posting, so that each group of corps members posted to an organisation is, as much as practicable, a reflection of the society.
UFOK Etukudo is the Senior Information Officer
NYSC Secretariat , Delta State

The rejoinder appeared in The Sunray and Observer Newspapers January 28, 1993. Read the original article here: Open Letter to My Parents in the North

The post Re- A Corper’s Letter to his parents in the North- By By Ufok Etukudo, NYSC Official appeared first on YAShuaib.

Yushau A. Shuaib with Asagba of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozien in Asagba’s Palace on Sallah Day in 1993

I know, daddy, how worried you would have been by now for not receiving my letter since the time I departed Kano for Delta State to answer the call to serve my nation through the National Youth Service Corps scheme. Don’t ever think those terrible, nightmarish, unwholesome stories we were fed by unscrupulous elements about this part of the country befell me. I am indeed hale and hearty and even overheard my colleagues saying that I’m adding more weight. Well daddy, it has never been bad living among these humble people of Delta. I can remember vividly your emotion the day you were seeing me off at the motor-park, as if I was a newly recruited soldier about to be sent to the battlefield. I remember Hajia’s (mummy) eyes filled with tears that I was deserting her to a place she was told the people only eat dogs and pork, a place where Northerners and Southerners don’t coexist, a place where there is no single mosque for Muslims, a place where you must perform some rituals to some kind of deities before the people receive you.

Oh! Daddy how I wish you were here with Hajia to see that all those gory stories about this part of the country we were made to believe, were fabricated tales conceived by enemies of unity and progress. The people and life here are a direct opposite of what they were portrayed to us. How I wish Nigerians would be visiting states other than theirs to correct the erroneous impressions they might have about other tribes or people. I had heard and been told that Ibos do not assist people other than their kit and kin. But to my utter bewilderment, in the luxury bus where they were many, apart from being impressed with my graduating at a tender age and coming to serve in their community, they bought me drinks and food. The reception I received in the bus among those amiable Ibos was just as if I was a typical explorer who was being welcomed back home after an exploration. At the end of the journey, they directed me to where I would get a vehicle to the orientation camp in Asaba. I could not thank those passengers enough for what they had done for me. I asked God to reward them abundantly.

Asaba is the capital of the newly created Delta State and it is developing rapidly with the cooperation of the indigenes and visitors. Schools, hotels, banks, factories and multinational organizations are located in major towns of the state.

Daddy, I would have starved and probably become skinny like a kwashiorkor victim because of the poor quality food we were first served. Fortunately enough, with the intervention of the State Governor, Felix Ibru, who increased our feeding allowance, there was great improvement in the quality of the meal. I hope other State Executives would emulate this philanthropic governor.

As corruption and indiscipline are rife in the country, so were in the camp. For instance, there were those beautiful damsels who caught the fancy of some officials. I didn’t know the game they were playing until most of them got posted to oil companies and finance houses. I learnt that the managements of such organizations give corpers good living accommodation with fat monthly allowance. There was this Yoruba girl who studied Theatre Arts and was posted to an oil company, another Hausa girl who read Hausa language was posted to a Merchant Bank and one Ibo girl who studied Bible Knowledge was posted to a flourishing factory. On the other hand, some corps members who had “short legs” but are graduates of Accountancy, Banking and Finance, Medicine and Engineering, whose professions qualified them to serve in the urban areas, were posted to rural areas to farm and teach. I wonder why this is common in most of the NYSC secretariats. The sooner they rectify this, the better for the disenchanted youth corps members.

As you know daddy, transportation is a national problem. Its fangs welcome most youth corpers whose places of primary assignment are far away from their residences. Most of the time, someone has to ride on a motorcycle which fare is between two Naira (N2) and Five Naira (N5). The same goes for the taxis. How I wish the state governments would subsidise transportation fares for youth corpers in their respective states by half, at least in the mass transit systems. It will be another demonstration of service to the nation on the part of the governments. And it will surely ease the pressure on corpers meagre allowances.

Daddy, here is the good news. The hardship I experienced in buying food from restaurants every day has enabled me to learn how to cook. Thanks to my colleague who has been teaching me the secrets of preparing a delicious meal.

I did enjoy my Xmas and New Year break. Most of my neighbours invited me to feast with them, some to parties. Everywhere, it was celebration galore in this Igboland in the Niger Delta.

Daddy there is something else which bothers me. I’m in love with one charming young lady from this place. Remember that Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, the Head of State, set a good example when he tied the nuptial knot with Maryam, who comes from this state. It won’t be bad if I end up having another Delta lady as my first lady for life! Please, do not view this negatively. Daddy, mummy, I love you all. Please, give my regards to all and tell them that my place of service is also a place of love, peace and harmony.

This article was first published New Nigerian January 18, and Sunray January 20, 1993* among others

* Please see a response here: A Rejoinder to Open Letter by Yushau A. Shuaib by NYSC Officer

The post A Corpers’s Letter to his Parents in the North appeared first on YAShuaib.