MAL. ALI WAKILI: A TESTIMONY OF HIS TRUEST PERSONALITY.

I Suppose Leadership At One Time Meant Muscles, But Today It Means Getting Along With People.

-Mahatma Gandhi

       This is just what Mallam Ali Waliki believes and I start with it because it went along with what I am about to say about my first meeting with the distinguished senator one day at his Bauchi residence. Mal Ali Wakili is a very nice, displined and cultured person despite him being a senator.

     Unlike many of his peers who prefer to be given a ‘kingly treat’ by their people, the distinguished senator is the opposite. One day I followed my friend to visit the senator at his residence, we were taken to his living room by his one of his  aides and within the shortest time he came out smiling (not leaving us decay under the AC), we exchanged greetings and we started to discuss the issues concerning the country then,  the senator said something and I said my opinion concerning it and immediately one of his aides who was also with us in the living room interrupted and said to me that ‘’if the senator said this is black, then let it be, don’t debate’’. The senator then laughs and said to me that, ‘’Yusuf, don’t listen to him, I will only go along with you if you debate me and not when you blindly follow me’’.

     What the senator says gives me more energy and a lots of confidence that we charted with him for almost an hour or so before we depart. With this I hold a very huge respect for him and admire the senator for what he is, a very cultured man. He sees all people equal regardless of their economic, social, educational, ethnic or even geographical background.

 

       As a former Secretary of Gamji Club, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, I have read and heard all the characters and the characteristics of Sir Ahmadu Bello sardaunan Sokoto and our nationals heroes which includes Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikwe And The Likes who sacrifices everything for the good of the common man, and i am telling you that SEN ali wakili also emulates their character and regard them as his mentors and predecessors that is why he sees all as one entity without any distinction or bias.

    

51 YREARS AFTER SIR AHMADU BELLO, KBE , SARDAUNAN SOKOTO.

Saturday, 14th January 2017 marks 51 years since Sardaunan Sakkwato Alh. Sir Ahmadu Bello was brutally assassinated alongside with his dear wife by soldiers who took over the reins of government. I therefore see it a compulsory upon me to pay tribute to him as I always did. Last year exertly during this time of the year, a lecture was organised by various institutions within the northern Nigeria to mark the 50^th year anniversary of the demise of sardauna. Then I was the secretary of the Gamji memorial club Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (Gamji being one of the numerous alias’ of sardauna, is a club set to imbibe the leadership qualities of sardauna) I represented my university at the event where various personalities attended ranging from ministers, emirs, state governors, to those who served under sardauna during his lifetime. His family were also there which include his only living daughter whom I greeted after the event, Hajj. Aisha Ahmadu Bello. The person sitting next to me happens to be also a relative to the late premier, Mal. Aliyu Maradun who also narrated to me who the real sardauna was; he told me that Sardauna was his waliy during his first marriage. I also meet a Yoruba man who told me he returned to Nigeria from New York, USA so that he can also be part of the event physically, I was able to also gather first hand information from testimonies of those who served Nigeria under him as the result of that My love and admiration for him increases. The minister of information and culture, Mal. Lai Muhammad said that is was Sardauna that got him admitted into Govt College Keffi together with alot of others who are successful today because of Sardauna’s patriotism.

          Ahmadu Bello will continue to be remembered by generations upon generations because of his selfless service to the northern region. It is on record that he paved the way for the development of the region during and after the keen struggle for the attainment of the country’s independence.

       Sardauna’s leadership greatly added value to the development of the region and its people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. He was one leader that embraced all the people of the north irrespective of their tribe or religion. No wonder he had in his kitchen cabinet, the likes of late Micheal Audu Buba, late Sunday Awoniyi, late Pastor David Lot and a host of others from minority tribes in the north. His motto was anchored on work and worship. The core civil service under his leadership devoted a lot of time to ensure that the north caught up with the rest of the country in development. It was based on this that the policy of manpower development was initiated. This saw the training of northerners in some of the world best schools especially in Britain.

If the successive generations of northern leaders had carried on from where the late Sardauna Ahmadu Bello stopped, the north would have been a different story today and the kind of distrust and misgivings that is prevalent would have been history.

What preoccupies the mindset of today’s northern leaders is accumulation of ill-gotten wealth to the detriment of the people. The late Sardauna did not believe in accumulation of wealth. At his death in the hands of the mutineers, he left behind only a mud house and no fat account in any bank.

INTRODUCTION

       Al-Haji Sir Ahmadu Bello was a Nigerian politician, and was the first premier of the Northern Nigeria region from 1954-1966. He is considered to be a founding father of the modern Nigerian nation state, which was formed October 1, 1960 when Bello's NPC forged an alliance with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's NCNC (National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons) to form Nigeria's first indigenous federal government which led to independence from Britain. Despite his popularity and political support, Bello chose to remain in the North instead of accepting the post of national Prime Minister, which would have required living in the South.
       Bello combined traditional leadership qualities with knowledge of Western governance. Bello's greatest legacy was the modernization and unification of the diverse people of Northern Nigeria.

EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND

        Ahmadu Bello was born in Rabbah, Sokoto State. The son of a district head and heir to the Sokoto Emirate. His great-grandfather was Sultan Bello, son of the revered Usman Dan Fodio who founded the Fulani Empire, which was the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ahmadu Bello received his education first at the feet of Muslim masters, studying the Quran, the hadith, and Shariah, then at Sokoto Middle School, the only modern school at the time in the Sokoto province (1917-1926).

          He then proceeded to the Katsina Teacher's Training College. After spending five years at Katsina, he was appointed by the Sultan as a teacher in his own former school in Sokoto. In 1934, he was made the district head of Rabbah within the Sultan's administration. Four years later, he was promoted and sent to Gusau to become a divisional head. In 1938, he made an unsuccessful bid to become the new Sultan of Sokoto. The successful sultan immediately conferred on him the traditional, now honorary, title of "Sarduna" and elevated him to the Sokoto Native Authority Council. He first became politically active in 1945, when he helped to form a Youth Social Circle, which later (1948) affiliated with the NPC (Northern People’s Congress) of which he became President-General in 1954. In 1948, he was offered a scholarship to study local government administration in England. Ahmadu Bello took the scholarship, sensing he needed to develop his knowledge about the process of governance.


CAREER AND LIFE

             After returning from England, he was nominated to represent the province of Sokoto in the regional House of Assembly, and elected. As a member of the assembly, he was a notable voice for northern interest and embraced a style of consultation and consensus with the major representatives of the northern emirates: Kano, Bornu, and Sokoto. As the movement for independence from the British Empire gathered momentum, Bello emerged as a strong advocate of federalism as the system of government that in his view was most suitable for Nigeria. This was especially attractive to Northern Nigerians, who had a history of sharing power. Nigeria has some 300 clan groups. He may also have wanted to protect the North from what he perceived as the possibility of Southern domination. He also served on the national constitutional drafting commission as a representative of the North.
In the first elections held in Northern Nigeria in 1952, Ahmadu Bello won a seat in the Northern House of Assembly, and became a member of the regional executive council as minister of works. Bello was successively minister of Works, of Local Government, and of Community Development in the Northern Region of Nigeria. In 1953 and in 1957, he led the Northern delegation during independence talks in London.


      In 1954, Bello became the first Premier of Northern Nigeria. In the 1959 independence elections, he led the NPC to win a plurality of the parliamentary seats. Bello's NPC forged an alliance with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe's NCNC (National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons) to form Nigeria's first indigenous federal government which led to independence from Britain. In forming the 1960 independence federal government of the Nigeria, Bello as president of the NPC, chose—although arguably one of the most influential politicians in Nigeria—to remain Premier of Northern Nigeria and devolved the position of Prime Minister of the Federation to the deputy president of the NPC, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. He apparently did not want to live in Lagos and preferred the political climate of the North from that of the South. His disinclination to head the national government also suggests that he was not interested in power for the sake of power but in serving the people whose votes had elected him to office.


          Bello's many political accomplishments include establishing the Northern Regional Development Corporation (NRDC) (subsequently the later the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC), the Bank of the North, the Broadcasting Company of Northern Nigeria (BCNN) and the Nigeria Citizen Newspapers. The North was less developed economically than the South, and Bello argued that it was necessary for the North to catch up with the South for the sake of national unity. He travelled constantly across the North, meeting people and listening to their concerns.
Bellow was assassinated during a January 15, 1966, military coup which toppled Nigeria's post-independence government. He was still serving as premier of Northern Nigeria at the time.

     Bello's many political accomplishments include establishing the Northern Regional Development Corporation (NRDC) (subsequently the later the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC), the Bank of the North, the Broadcasting Company of Northern Nigeria (BCNN) and the Nigeria Citizen Newspapers. The North was less developed economically than the South, and Bello argued that it was necessary for the North to catch up with the South for the sake of national unity. He travelled constantly across the North, meeting people and listening to their concerns.
Bellow was assassinated during a January 15, 1966, military coup which toppled Nigeria's post-independence government. He was still serving as premier of Northern Nigeria at the time.

      Ahmadu Bello was a practicing Muslim. He married five times. In 1955, he performed the Hajj, becoming Alhaji Ahmadu Bello. From then until his death, he visited Mecca annually to perform the Umrah. He walked every day to his local Mosque for prayer. He chose "work and worship" as the slogan for Northern Nigeria. Bello established a reputation for religious toleration. On Christmas Day 1959 he stated, in a broadcast:

Here in the Northern Nigeria we have People of Many different races, tribes and religious who are knit together to common history, common interest and common ideas, the things that unite us are stronger than the things that divide us. I always remind people of our firmly rooted policy of religious tolerance. We have no intention of favouring one religion at the expense of another. Subject to the overriding need to preserve law and order, it is our determination that everyone should have absolute liberty to practice his belief according to the dictates of his conscience….

Speaking about the vision of Ahmad Bello University, he stated:
The cardinal principle upon which our University is founded is to impart knowledge and learning to men and women of all races without any distinction on the grounds of race, religious, or political beliefs.



PERSONAL LIFE


Ahmadu Bello's first wife was Goggon Kurya Hafsatu bint Abdulkadir Maccido, daughter of the Waziri of Sokoto (they married in 1932). His second wife (married 1934, divorced 1938) was Kande. His third was Amiru Fadima (married 1934, divorced 1938). His fourth wife (married 1940) was Goggon Kano Amina bint Abubakar, daughter of the District Head of Bici.

    His children were:

• Muhammad Tambari ibn Ahmadu Bello (son), died c. 1938, aged 2.

• Inno bint Ahmadu Bello (daughter), born 1942.

• Aisha bint Ahmadu Bello (daughter), born 1945, married 1956

• Ahmad ibn Magajingari Usman, Marafa of Sokoto, born 1923, died 1983.

Lubabatu bint Ahmadu Bello (daughter) born June 1966.

LEGACY

    Bello's greatest legacy was the modernization and unification of the diverse people of Northern Nigeria. He was awarded several honorary doctorates, including the Doctor of Law from UNN (University of Nigeria Nsukka) in December 1961. He was honored by the country from which he had helped to negotiate independence, being made a Knight of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959 just before the end of colonial rule.
He founded the Ahmadu Bello University (1962) in Zaria, the second largest University in Africa, which is named after him. He was the University's first Chancellor. Nigeria's 200 naira carries his portrait. There is a 1995 biography about his first wife, Hafsatu Ahmadu Bello, who was slain alongside him. His assassination, for which members of the Igbo tribe were responsible, was one of the factors that led to the subsequent Civil War (1967-1970) when the Southern province of Biafra attempted to secede. He wanted both national and Pan-African unity. He did not waste time blaming the ills of his time on colonialism, but instead set out to develop his region and to adapt from the West what suited Nigeria, while retaining those cultural practices and values that were cherished and integral to Nigerian identity.

POPULAR QUOTES/SAYINGS

On Destiny 

“I have never sought the Political Limelight or a leading position in my country. But I could not avoid the obligation of my birth and destiny. My great-great-grandfather built an Empire in the Western Sudan. It has fallen my lot to play a not inconsiderable part in building a new nation. My ancestor was chosen to lead the holy war which set up his Empire. I have been chosen by a Free electrorate to help build a modern state.

From Preface to my life.

On Pride

“They say that I am proud and impatient. I am certainly proud, for I have much to be proud of, and not the least the trust that God has given me to lift up our People from their Primitive conditions into the light of life and the happiness of conternment. But I am not proud in the arrogant sense, for I know that I am merely an instrument carrying out God’s will and pleasure.

 “On Customs and Traditions.

“Our Customs and institutions are not artificial creations, nor have they been borrowed ready-made from others. On the contrary, with their roots deep in the Past, Yet changing to meets the needs of the future, they are living, growing things. We are proud to our way of life and are honoured that we have the priviledge of displaying a few of its many aspects”.

From: Speech in response to the Queens Goodwill message, 1959.

On Knowledge

“U are unique in that we stand at the meeting Point of two of the major cultural system of the world. Islamic culture from the East and Christain culture from the West, and meeting in the Presence of a third culture, that of the ancient state and empires of African itself. Our task is to bring about a dialogue between these two cultures and fit them to Africa, Interpreting one of the other to the Mutual benefit of all. We should introduce Western ideas and technologies where necessary but it must be without distripting our existing Spiritual, cultural and social Values”.

From: Speech on the occasion of his Installation as Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on 23^rd November 1963.

Last Words

“I am impatient, and who would not be with all that lies before me and the responsibilities that have been placed upon me? I have a thousands causes for impatience, but I am not impatient for myself or my family. All my time I give to my work: my life has been in the service of the state even from the time that I went to school. For there I was learning for the future and that future had cought up with me. A new future lies ahead into which I go, trusting in God’s eternal mercy.

Ahmadu  with queen of england.

The Sardauna with Dr. Nnmadi Azikwe and Awolowo.

  

SOURCES:  sakkwatanci.blogspot.com.ng,

newworldencyclopedia.org,

takemetonaija.com

The story of Maurice Bucaille’s inspiring conversion to Islam

 MAURICE Bucaille was born to a French parent
and, like his family, he grew up a Christian. After
his secondary education, he joined Faculty of
Medicine, France University. Later, he became the
most renowned and cleverest surgeon ever in
modern France, but a story happened to change his
life completely.
France is known for its unique interest in
archeology and heritage. When French Socialist
President François Mitterrand assumed power in
1981, France asked Egypt, late in the 80’s, for the
mummy of Egypt’s pharaoh so that it would
conduct a string of monumental and processing
experiments. Actually the body of Egypt’s most
notorious tyrant was transferred to France, and,
strangely, the French president and his ministers as
well as senior officials in the country lined up near
the plane carrying the pharaoh’s body and bowed
down to him as if he were still alive! After the
ceremonies of the royal-like reception to Egypt’s
pharaoh were over, the tyrant’s mummy was
carried nearly in the same red carpet reception way
he received. Then the mummy was transferred to a
special wing at the French Monuments Center, and
renowned archeologists, surgeons and anatomists
started to conduct a study on this mummy in an
attempt to delve into its mysteries. The senior
surgeon and the scientist in charge of the study on
this mummy of the Pharaoh was Professor Maurice
Bucaille. While the processors were busy making
restoration to the mummy, their head (Maurice
Bucaille) was thinking otherwise. He was trying to
discover how this Pharaoh died when, late at night,
he concluded his final analyses. The remains of the
salt stuck in his body was a shining evidence that
he had drowned and that his body was retrieved
from the sea swiftly after he drowned; it was also
obvious that they rushed to mummify his body so
that his body would remain intact!! But Maurice
Bucaille puzzled over a question: How did this body
— to the exclusion of other mummified bodies of
other ancient Egyptians — remain that intact
although it was recovered from the sea?” Maurice
was busy conducting a final report while thinking
as to whether the pharaoh’s body was recovered
from the sea and mummified immediately after he
drowned. But one of his company whispered in his
ear, saying “There is no need to rush about this
issue, since the Muslims say that this Pharaoh did
drown.” At first, he vehemently rejected this and did
not believe it, citing that such a discovery would be
reached only through sophisticated, modern and
accurate computers. Another one accompanying
him surprised him more when he told him that the
Muslims’ Qur’an in which they believe narrates the
story that says he drowned and that his body
remained intact even after he drowned. He got
more surprised and kept on asking” Where did the
Muslims’ Qur’an quote these data from while the
mummy was not discovered until 1898, i.e. about
200 years only, given that the Qur’an has been
recited by Muslims for over 1400 years, and given
also that until a few decades ago the entire
mankind including Muslims did not know that the
ancient Egyptians had mummified their pharaohs?
Maurice Bucaille stayed up all this night gazing at
Pharaoh’s body, thinking deeply of what his fellow
researcher told him about the Muslims’ Qur’an
explicitly establishing that this body was recovered
after drowning, while the Christians’ Gospel
(Matthew and Luca) narrated only the story of
Pharaoh when he was chasing Prophet Musa
(peace be upon him) without mentioning the fate of
his body at all.
“Is it believable that Muhammad (peace be upon
him) knew about this over 1,000 years ago while I
have only just known it?” he thought.
Maurice spent a sleepless night, and asked for a
version of the Torah. But it only furthered Bucaille’s
astonishment; since even Torah did not narrate that
the body was recovered and remained intact due to
the processing and restoration, which it did
undergo.


France sent back the mummy to Egypt in a
splendid glass coffin. But, since he knew about the
story circulated by Muslims on the intactness of
this body, he decided to pack his baggage and
travel to Saudi Arabia where a medical conference
happened to be held with a galaxy of Muslim
anatomists attending.
There, told them about his discovery, i.e. that
Pharaoh’s body was kept intact even after he
drowned. One of the conferees opened the Qur’an
and read out the Ayah in which Allah Almighty said,
“So today We will (safely) deliver you with your
body that you may be a sign to the ones
succeeding you; and surely many among mankind
are indeed heedless of Our signs.” (Yunus: 92)
In his excitement, he stood before the attendants
and loudly said, “I have converted to Islam and
believed in this Qur’an.”
Back to France, Maurice Bucaille spent 10 years
conducting a study as to how far the recently
scientific facts match that mentioned in the Holy
Qur’an, trying to reassure himself that the Qur’an
has never contradicted with any single scientific
fact, so that he eventually came up with the
conclusion that Allah Almighty said of the Qur’an,
“Untruth does not come up to it before (Literally:
between its two hands) it nor from behind it; a
successive sending down from (One) Ever-Wise,
Ever-Praiseworthy.”
He came up with a earth shaking book on the Holy
Qur’an which jolted the entire Western states, with
the title of the book reading, “The Bible, The Qur’an
and Science, The Holy Scriptures Examined In The
Light Of Modern Knowledge.”
The book sold out and even hundreds of thousands
of it were translated from French to Arabic, English,
Indonesian, Persian, Turkish and German, extending
to include nearly all East and West bookstores; one
has come to see it with any Egyptian, Moroccan or
Gulf person in the US.
In the preface of his book, Maurice Bucaille said,
“These scientific areas which Qur’an established to
the exclusion of other Scriptures filled me with
deep surprise early on, since it never struck my
mind to see such a large amount of scientific
issues in such a variable and accurate way that
they are a mirror image of what has recently been
discovered in a book which has existed for more
than 13 centuries.!!
The Bible, The Qur’an and Science, The Holy
Scriptures Examined In The Light Of Modern
Knowledge was such a marvelous piece of writing
that, in the year 1988, the French Academy
awarded him its prize in history.

— Courtesy of www.quranandscience.com

 MAURICE Bucaille was born to a French parent

and, like his family, he grew up a Christian. After

his secondary education, he joined Faculty of

Medicine, France University. Later, he became the

most renowned and cleverest surgeon ever in

modern France, but a story happened to change his

life completely.

France is known for its unique interest in

archeology and heritage. When French Socialist

President François Mitterrand assumed power in

1981, France asked Egypt, late in the 80’s, for the

mummy of Egypt’s pharaoh so that it would

conduct a string of monumental and processing

experiments. Actually the body of Egypt’s most

notorious tyrant was transferred to France, and,

strangely, the French president and his ministers as

well as senior officials in the country lined up near

the plane carrying the pharaoh’s body and bowed

down to him as if he were still alive! After the

ceremonies of the royal-like reception to Egypt’s

pharaoh were over, the tyrant’s mummy was

carried nearly in the same red carpet reception way

he received. Then the mummy was transferred to a

special wing at the French Monuments Center, and

renowned archeologists, surgeons and anatomists

started to conduct a study on this mummy in an

attempt to delve into its mysteries. The senior

surgeon and the scientist in charge of the study on

this mummy of the Pharaoh was Professor Maurice

Bucaille. While the processors were busy making

restoration to the mummy, their head (Maurice

Bucaille) was thinking otherwise. He was trying to

discover how this Pharaoh died when, late at night,

he concluded his final analyses. The remains of the

salt stuck in his body was a shining evidence that

he had drowned and that his body was retrieved

from the sea swiftly after he drowned; it was also

obvious that they rushed to mummify his body so

that his body would remain intact!! But Maurice

Bucaille puzzled over a question: How did this body

— to the exclusion of other mummified bodies of

other ancient Egyptians — remain that intact

although it was recovered from the sea?” Maurice

was busy conducting a final report while thinking

as to whether the pharaoh’s body was recovered

from the sea and mummified immediately after he

drowned. But one of his company whispered in his

ear, saying “There is no need to rush about this

issue, since the Muslims say that this Pharaoh did

drown.” At first, he vehemently rejected this and did

not believe it, citing that such a discovery would be

reached only through sophisticated, modern and

accurate computers. Another one accompanying

him surprised him more when he told him that the

Muslims’ Qur’an in which they believe narrates the

story that says he drowned and that his body

remained intact even after he drowned. He got

more surprised and kept on asking” Where did the

Muslims’ Qur’an quote these data from while the

mummy was not discovered until 1898, i.e. about

200 years only, given that the Qur’an has been

recited by Muslims for over 1400 years, and given

also that until a few decades ago the entire

mankind including Muslims did not know that the

ancient Egyptians had mummified their pharaohs?

Maurice Bucaille stayed up all this night gazing at

Pharaoh’s body, thinking deeply of what his fellow

researcher told him about the Muslims’ Qur’an

explicitly establishing that this body was recovered

after drowning, while the Christians’ Gospel

(Matthew and Luca) narrated only the story of

Pharaoh when he was chasing Prophet Musa

(peace be upon him) without mentioning the fate of

his body at all.

“Is it believable that Muhammad (peace be upon

him) knew about this over 1,000 years ago while I

have only just known it?” he thought.

Maurice spent a sleepless night, and asked for a

version of the Torah. But it only furthered Bucaille’s

astonishment; since even Torah did not narrate that

the body was recovered and remained intact due to

the processing and restoration, which it did

undergo.

France sent back the mummy to Egypt in a

splendid glass coffin. But, since he knew about the

story circulated by Muslims on the intactness of

this body, he decided to pack his baggage and

travel to Saudi Arabia where a medical conference

happened to be held with a galaxy of Muslim

anatomists attending.

There, told them about his discovery, i.e. that

Pharaoh’s body was kept intact even after he

drowned. One of the conferees opened the Qur’an

and read out the Ayah in which Allah Almighty said,

“So today We will (safely) deliver you with your

body that you may be a sign to the ones

succeeding you; and surely many among mankind

are indeed heedless of Our signs.” (Yunus: 92)

In his excitement, he stood before the attendants

and loudly said, “I have converted to Islam and

believed in this Qur’an.”

Back to France, Maurice Bucaille spent 10 years

conducting a study as to how far the recently

scientific facts match that mentioned in the Holy

Qur’an, trying to reassure himself that the Qur’an

has never contradicted with any single scientific

fact, so that he eventually came up with the

conclusion that Allah Almighty said of the Qur’an,

“Untruth does not come up to it before (Literally:

between its two hands) it nor from behind it; a

successive sending down from (One) Ever-Wise,

Ever-Praiseworthy.”

He came up with a earth shaking book on the Holy

Qur’an which jolted the entire Western states, with

the title of the book reading, “The Bible, The Qur’an

and Science, The Holy Scriptures Examined In The

Light Of Modern Knowledge.”

The book sold out and even hundreds of thousands

of it were translated from French to Arabic, English,

Indonesian, Persian, Turkish and German, extending

to include nearly all East and West bookstores; one

has come to see it with any Egyptian, Moroccan or

Gulf person in the US.

In the preface of his book, Maurice Bucaille said,

“These scientific areas which Qur’an established to

the exclusion of other Scriptures filled me with

deep surprise early on, since it never struck my

mind to see such a large amount of scientific

issues in such a variable and accurate way that

they are a mirror image of what has recently been

discovered in a book which has existed for more

than 13 centuries.!!

The Bible, The Qur’an and Science, The Holy

Scriptures Examined In The Light Of Modern

Knowledge was such a marvelous piece of writing

that, in the year 1988, the French Academy

awarded him its prize in history.

— Courtesy of www.quranandscience.com

Virtues of Ramadaan II

Virtues of the month of rewards are known to most Muslims. The biggest of all is that Allah has said that fasting is for Him and He will reward it. He said, as reported in a Hadith Qudsee:

“…except for fasting which is only for My sake, and I will reward him for it.” [Al-Bukhaari, al-Fat’h, no. 1904; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/407.]

Amongst the many virtues of Ramadan, following are some of them:

Forgiveness of sins (sins that potentially are blocking Allah’s blessings in our lives)

Gates of heaven are opened (showing Allah’s bountiful blessings)

Gates of hell are closed (showing Allah’s mercy)

Devils are chained up (making it easier for Muslims to get closer to Allah)

It has a blessed night which is better than 1000 months (83 years and 4 months)

Quran recitation provides an opportunity of great rewards in this life and the hereafter (besides training one to recite Quran regularly during the rest of the year.)

The following are the Quran verses, prophetic sayings, and scholarly wisdom on the virtues of the month of Ramadan.

“When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains.” [Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fat’h, no. 3277.]

“Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and with the hope of (Allah’s) reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 37.] 

“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month…” [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:185] 

1. “Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree).

2. And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is?

3. The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).

4. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allah’s Permission with all Decrees,

5. (All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn”. [Surah al-Qadar 97:1-5] 

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month which Allah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 2106; Ahmad, 8769. classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 999.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1910; Muslim, 760.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “At every breaking of the fast, Allah has people whom He redeems.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 987.

We also know that the prophet (s.a.w.) was more generous in Ramadan than other months.

“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the most generous of people [in doing good], and he was most generous of all in Ramadan when Jibreel met with him; he used to meet him every night in Ramadan and teach him the Quran. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was more generous in doing good than a blowing wind.” [Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fat’h, no. 6.]

“In Paradise there are rooms whose outside can be seen from the inside and the inside can be seen from the outside. Allah has prepared them for those who feed the poor, those who are gentle in speech, those who fast regularly, and those who pray at night when people are asleep.” [Reported by Ahmad 5/343; Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 2137. Al-Albaani said in his footnote, its isnaad is hasan because of other corroborating reports.]

“Whoever gives food to a fasting person with which to break his fast, he will have the reward equal to his (the fasting person), without it detracting in the slightest from the reward of the fasting person.” [Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3/171; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/451.]

Muhammad Ali: A death Of an American Muslim Face

QUICK FACTS

NAME

Muhammad Ali

OCCUPATION

Athlete, Boxer, Philanthropist

BIRTH DATE

January 17, 1942

DEATH DATE

June 3, 2016

EDUCATION

Louisville Central High School

PLACE OF BIRTH

Louisville, Kentucky

PLACE OF DEATH

Phoenix, Arizona

AKA

Muhammad Ali

Cassius X

Ali

ORIGINALLY

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.

Arguably boxing's most celebrated athlete, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was also known for his public stance against the Vietnam War and his longtime battle with Parkinson's disease.

Synopsis

Born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1942, Muhammad Ali became an Olympic gold medalist in 1960 and the world heavyweight boxing champion in 1964. Following his suspension for refusing military service, Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title two more times during the 1970s, winning famed bouts against Joe Frazier and George Foreman along the way. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy, earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. He died on June 3, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Early Life

Boxer, philanthropist and social activist Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. Ali showed at an early age that he wasn't afraid of any bout—inside or outside of the ring. Growing up in the segregated South, he experienced racial prejudice and discrimination firsthand.

At the age of 12, Ali discovered his talent for boxing through an odd twist of fate. His bike was stolen, and Ali told a police officer, Joe Martin, that he wanted to beat up the thief. "Well, you better learn how to fight before you start challenging people," Martin reportedly told him at the time. In addition to being a police officer, Martin also trained young boxers at a local gym.

Ali started working with Martin to learn how to spar, and soon began his boxing career. In his first amateur bout in 1954, he won the fight by split decision. Ali went on to win the 1956 Golden Gloves tournament for novices in the light heavyweight class. Three years later, he won the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, as well as the Amateur Athletic Union's national title for the light heavyweight division.

Olympic Gold

In 1960, Ali won a spot on the U.S. Olympic boxing team, and traveled to Rome, Italy, to compete. At 6' 3", Ali was an imposing figure in the ring, but he also became known for his lightning speed and fancy footwork. After winning his first three bouts, Ali defeated Zbigniew Pietrzkowski from Poland to win the light heavyweight gold medal.

After his Olympic victory, Ali was heralded as an American hero. He soon turned professional with the backing of the Louisville Sponsoring Group, and continued overwhelming all opponents in the ring. Ali took out British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper in 1963, and then knocked out Sonny Liston in 1964 to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

Often referring to himself as "the greatest," Ali was not afraid to sing his own praises. He was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and phrases. In one of his more famously quoted descriptions, Ali told reporters that he could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" in the boxing ring.

Conversion to Islam and Suspension

This bold public persona belied what was happening in Ali's personal life, however. He was doing some spiritual searching and decided to join the black Muslim group the Nation of Islam in 1964. At first he called himself "Cassius X" before settling on the name Muhammad Ali. (The boxer eventually converted to orthodox Islam during the 1970s.) 

Ali later started a different kind of fight with his outspoken views against the Vietnam War. Drafted into the military in April 1967, he refused to serve on the grounds that he was a practicing Muslim minister with religious beliefs that prevented him from fighting. He was arrested for committing a felony and almost immediately stripped of his world title and boxing license.

The U.S. Department of Justice pursued a legal case against Ali, denying his claim for conscientious objector status. He was found guilty of violating Selective Service laws and sentenced to five years in prison in June 1967, but remained free while appealing his conviction. Unable to compete professionally in the meantime, Ali missed more than three prime years of his athletic career. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually overturned the conviction in June 1971.

Boxing Comeback

Prior to the Supreme Court's decision, Ali returned to the ring in 1970 with a win over Jerry Quarry. The following year, Ali took on Joe Frazier in what has been called the "Fight of the Century." Frazier and Ali went toe-to-toe for 14 rounds before Frazier dropped Ali with a vicious left hook in the 15th. Ali recovered quickly, but the judges awarded the decision to Frazier, handing Ali his first professional loss after 31 wins. Ali soon suffered a second loss, to Ken Norton, but he beat Frazier in a 1974 rematch.

Another legendary Ali fight, against undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman, took place in 1974. Billed as the "Rumble in the Jungle," the bout was organized by promoter Don King and held in Kinshasa, Zaire. For once, Ali was seen as the underdog to the younger, massive Foreman, but he silenced his critics with a masterful performance. He baited Foreman into throwing wild punches with his "rope-a-dope" technique, before stunning his opponent with an eighth-round knockout to reclaim the heavyweight title.

Ali and Frazier locked horns for their grudge match in Quezon City, Philippines, in 1975. Dubbed the "Thrilla in Manila," the bout nearly went the distance, with both men delivering and absorbing tremendous punishment. However, Frazier's trainer threw in the towel after the 14th round, giving the hard-fought victory to Ali.

After losing his title to Leon Spinks in February 1978, Ali defeated him in a September rematch, becoming the first boxer to win the heavyweight championship three times. Following a brief retirement, he returned to the ring to face Larry Holmes in 1980, but was overmatched against the younger champion. Following one final loss in 1981, to Trevor Berbick, the boxing great retired from the sport.

Philanthropy and Diagnosis of Parkinson's

In his retirement, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy. He announced that he had Parkinson's disease in 1984, a degenerative neurological condition, and was involved in raising funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Over the years, Ali also supported the Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, among other organizations. In 1996, he lit the Olympic cauldron at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, an emotional moment in sports history.

Ali traveled to numerous countries, including Mexico and Morocco, to help out those in need. In 1998, he was chosen to be a United Nations Messenger of Peace because of his work in developing nations.

In 2005, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush. He also opened the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, that same year. "I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given," he said. "Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. I wanted more than a building to house my memorabilia. I wanted a place that would inspire people to be the best that they could be at whatever they chose to do, and to encourage them to be respectful of one another."

Despite the progression of Parkinson's and the onset of spinal stenosis, Ali remained active in public life. He was on hand to celebrate the inauguration of the first African-American president in January 2009, when Barack Obama was sworn into office. Soon after the inauguration, Ali received the President's Award from the NAACP for his public service efforts. 

Death and Legacy

Things began taking a turn for the worse within a few years. In early 2015, Ali was hospitalized for a severe urinary tract infection after having battled pneumonia. He was hospitalized again in early June 2016 for what was reportedly a respiratory issue. The revered athlete passed away on the evening of June 3, 2016, at a Phoenix, Arizona facility.

Ali was survived by his fourth wife, Yolanda, whom he had been married to since 1986. The couple had one son, Asaad, and Ali had several children from previous relationships, including daughter Laila Ali, who followed in his footsteps by becoming a champion boxer.

Universally regarded as one of the greatest boxers in history, Ali's stature as a legend continued to grow even as his physical state diminished. He continues to be celebrated not only for his remarkable athletic skills but for his willingness to speak his mind and his courage to challenge the status quo.

Impact of drug use on your life

          Impact of drug use on your life

It’s not unusual for people to feel confused about taking drugs. You might be feeling pressure from your friends or classmates, or you might be curious about what using a drug would be like.
 While movies, music, and T.V. shows can make drug use seem cool, fun, or even glamorous, there are also many negative side effects to drug use. Drugs can negatively impact your relationships, your mental and physical health, and your life in general. Drug use is a choice but it is important to understand the effects of drug use - both immediate and long-term - to your brain, body and life.

IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF DRUG USE
You might be thinking about using drugs, and in the short-term, it might seem harmless to experiment with different drugs. Taking drugs can make you feel good and look cool around your friends-especially if they’re all using drugs, too. While you’re high, it might seem like there aren’t any consequences to your drug use. However, there can be negative effects of using that can impact your life. You might even become dependent on the drugs you are taking to function day-to-day. Here are a few examples of how drug use can change your life.

Your body
            Drugs can have immediate and long-lasting effects on your physical health and well-being.
Physical injuries. When you’re under the influence of drugs, you might do things that you wouldn’t normally do. This can increase your chances of getting hurt or having an accident. Drug-related injuries can be from things like falling and car accidents.
Violence. Some drugs can increase the likelihood of violent behavior. Violence is never an acceptable way to react in a situation, and if you become violent when you use drugs, it’s a good idea to re-evaluate your drug use. Drug-induced violence can lead to serious injury to you and to others.
Internal damage. Use of some drugs can damage your internal organs, like your liver, brain, lungs, throat and stomach. For example, ordinary household glue can be characterized as a drug if sniffed. The chemicals in glue can cause hearing loss and kidney damage if they’re inhaled over a long period of time. And continuous marijuana use can harm the parts of the brain that control memory, attention and learning.
Pregnancy and STDs. While you’re under the influence, you might be less likely to remember to have safe sex. Unprotected sex can lead to pregnancy or the spread of STDs like HIV/AIDS.
Risk of other infectious diseases. Sharing needles from injecting certain types of drugs can put you at major risk for getting diseases like Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, as well as HIV. These diseases are spread through the transmission of body fluids like blood. You can also contract other infections, like colds and mono, from sharing pipes or bongs.
Addiction. When you take drugs, there’s a chance that you could become dependent on them. This means that you might feel like you can’t operate without drugs in your system or that you spend a lot of your time and energy finding and using the drug. You might also have withdrawal symptoms when you stop using the drug. If you use drugs often, your tolerance to the drug might increase, causing you to need to take a greater amount to get the same effects. If you think you might need help for your drug dependence
Your mental and emotional well-being
            Drug use can also alter your mood-when you’re high, and even when you’re not. Drug use                                            Can make trigger stress or mental illness, or exacerbate already existing issues.
Stress. You might think that using certain drugs will help you relax and forget about the issues that cause stress. But long-term drug use can have a big impact on the way your brain works, and lead to increased anxiety and stress.
Depression. Feeling low after using some drugs-including alcohol-is common. You might feel depressed because of the drug itself, or because of something that happened while you were using. Sometimes people use drugs as a way to cope with their depression, but drug use can often worsen these feelings.
Mental illnesses. Although scientists generally agree that there is a link between drug use and serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, the American National Institute on Drug Abuse says that it’s still unclear whether serious drug use leads to these illnesses, or if having an illness increases a person’s chances to abuse drugs.
Your relationships and your future
  Drug use can have an immediate impact on your body and mind but it can also affect your Future and your relationship with others.
Legal issues. Making, selling or having illegal drugs in your possession is against the law. It’s also against the law to give prescription drugs to people who don’t have a prescription from a doctor. Punishments for breaking these laws include having to go to court which might result in being sent to jail, having to pay hefty fines, or enter a rehabilitation program.
Your relationships. When drug use becomes a larger part of your life, your relationships suffer. Conflict and breakdowns in communication can become more common.
Your safety. Being under the influence of drugs could increase your chances of being in dangerous situations. The effects of some drugs can cause you to do things you might not usually do. You might also be putting yourself at risk of overdosing. Buying drugs or trying to get the money to buy drugs can also put you at risk.
Your school work. You might not immediately notice the impact that your drug taking is having on your school work, but habitual drug use can prevent you from focusing on your responsibilities, like homework or concentrating in class. Your grades will suffer as a result.
Your job. Drug use can also affect your ability to concentrate at work. The side effects of using drugs-like a hangover, or a “coming down” feeling-can reduce your ability to focus. Poor performance at your job could cause you to lose your job all together.
Financial pressures. Regular drug use can become expensive. In extreme situations, people who are addicted to drugs might try anything-including illegal activities like theft-to secure money to get their next fix.
Homelessness. Spending most of your money on drugs might not leave much money to cover your living expenses, like rent, food, or utility bills. If you can’t pay these necessary costs, you could even get kicked out of your home.


GETTING HELP
If you’re using drugs and finding it hard to manage life and relationships, help is available. Start by talking with someone you trust, like a friend or family member, about your problem. You might also want to speak with a doctor or counselor or other mental health professional all of whom can help you get professional treatment for your drug problem.
I also suggest that you make friends that are not addicted to drugs, because ofpeer pressure even afteryou stopped taking drugs, its more like that you may return to your old habit if care is not taken, a hausa adage says’ABOKIN BARAWO, BARAWO NE’, meaning, a friend of a thief, is also a thief. MAY GOD GIUDE US ALL.

Tribute to Umaru Musa Yar'adua, The servant Leader

 

Alh. Umaru Musa Yar'adua

INTRODUCTION
Umaru Musa Yar’adua was the president of Nigeria. He called himself the Servant Leader.
BIRTH AND EARLY DAYS
Yar’adua as a boy.
The late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was born on the 16th of August 1951 in Katsina, Katsina State, northern Nigeria. As at that time, there was no Katsina State because it was formed in 1987 from Kaduna State. He belonged to the predominant Fulani ethnic stock (please note that this is different from Hausa ethnic group and it is very wrong to refer to Yar’adua as Hausa, the Hausas are a different group altogether). Katsina is a predominantly Muslim state with sizeable Christian population, it has historically being one of the most important commercial centres in northern Nigeria. Below are photos of Yar’adua’s father:
KATSINA STATE.
  The Yar’adua family has always been one of the most influential and powerful not only in Katsina State but all over the region. His father, Mallam Musa Yar’adua, was the Minister for Lagos during the First Republic (1963-1966) under the presidency of Nnamdi Azikiwe and the prime ministership of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. He was also the holder of the royal title of Mutawalli (Mutawallen Katsina) which meant he was the Custodian of the Treasury of the Katsina Emirate. His son, Umaru, would later inherit this title. The late President was born into an affluent family that was however regarded for its prudence and simplicity.
EDUCATION
  Umaru Musa Yar’adua was enrolled at the Rafukka Primary School in 1958 and from there, he later moved to the Dutsinma Boarding Primary School in 1962. For his high school education, he was at the Government College, Keffi (1965-1969) and got his Higher School Certificate from the prestigious Barewa College, Zaria, Kaduna State in 1971.
  From 1972 to 1975, he was a student at one of Africa’s largest universities, the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State where he bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and Chemistry. By 1978, he was back to bag his masters degree in Analytical Chemistry.
TEACHING CAREER
  Yar’adua worked at the Holy Child College in Lagos State from 1975 to 1976 as a teacher. Later, he secured a job as a lecturer at the College of Arts, Science and Technology in Zaria, Kaduna State from 1976 to 1979. In the year 1979, he continued his lecturing career at the College of Art and Science until 1983 when he veered into business, making his mark in the corporate world.

LATER CAREER
  In 1983, Yar’adua became the first General Manager at Sambo Farms Limited, Funtua, Katsina State, a post he would hold until 1989. In the period between 1984 and 1985, he was a member of the board of the Katsina State Farmers’ Supply Company.

  From 1978 to 1983, he was a Member, Governing Council of the Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria and the Katsina Polytechnic within the same period. In 1994,he became the Chairman of the Board of the Katsina State Investment and Property Development Company (KIPDECO) and was in the position till 1996. His other roles are as follows:

-Director, Habib Nigeria Bank Limited (1995 – 1999)

-Director, Lodigiani Nigeria Limited (1987 – 1999)

-Director, Hamada Holdings (1983 – 1999)

-Director, Madara Limited, Vom, Jos, Plateau State (1987 – 1999)

-Chairman, Nation House Press Limited, Kaduna (1995 – 1999)
LOVE, FAMILY, MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN
In 1975, the late President Yar’adua got married to the love of his life, Hajia Turai Umaru Yar’adua and their marriage produced seven children (five daughters and two sons). Nafisat got married to Bauchi State governor Isa Yuguda while Zainab got married to Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari, the governor of Kebbi State. From the year 1992 to 1997, he was married to Hauwa Umar Radda and their marriage produced two children.
From the year 1992 to 1997, he was married to Hauwa Umar Radda (pictured here) and their marriage produced two children.
-His brother, Abdul’azeez Musa Yar’adua, a retired colonel in the Nigerian Army is gunning for the governorship of Katsina State in 2015. He is popularly known as Audu Soja and is shown below.
ENTERING POLITICS AND BECOMING GOVERNOR
Born into a family that wielded immense political influence (his father, Mallam Musa Yar’adua had been the Vice Chairman (National) of the National Party of Nigeria, NPN), Yar’adua’s sojourn into politics went as far back as Nigeria’s Second Republic in 1979 (the republic came to an abrupt end in 1983) when he was a member of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
    When General Ibrahim Babangida, Nigeria’s military president, came with his wuruwuru idea of a transition programme, Yar’adua was one of those that established the People’s Association, a political group that was led by his elder brother, the late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’adua. This group would later become the Social Democratic Party, SDP (which was funded by the military government and other individuals like Shehu Musa Yar’adua, Arthur Francis Nzeribe and MKO Abiola). By 1988, he was a member of the Constituent Assembly and being a member of the party’s national caucus and the Katsina State SDP secretary, he was one of the most important officials of the party. In December 1991, Umaru Musa Yar’adua made his first shot at ruling his state. He contested for the governorship of Katsina State but unfortunately for him, he lost to Alhaji Saidu Barda , a politician who ran on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC). Barda was also a friend of the military president, Babangida. One of the factors that also contributed to Umaru’s defeat was that his elder brother was aiming at the presidency and was not wholly in support of his younger brother’s ambition.
   But Yar’adua did not give up, he would lick his wounds of defeat and then re-strategize. In the year 1999, he contested again for the same position and he won with 66.5% of the votes, defeating Alhaji Jinadu Mamuda Yantumaki of the All People’s Party to limp home with 32.5%.
In 2003, he contested again and won. It must be noted that Yar’adua was the first governor to declare his assets in public. But it must be highlighted that although many Nigerians were not really aware of went on during his governorship, it was not always an easy one. For instance, in August 1999, some members of the Muslim Shiite sect went on a rampage with jerrycans of petrol, setting seven hotels and a church on fire chanting Allahu Akbar as they went about with their destruction unhindered. Why? They said they were protesting against the sale of alcohol in Katsina on Friday.
Governor Umaru Musa Yar’adua later appealed for calm and urged everyone to leave in peace and harmony, and he ordered the police to beef up security around churches in the metropolis to pre-empt further attacks. In 2000, under Yar’adua’s governorship, Katsina became the fifth country in the north of the country to adopt sharia (Islamic law). In 2002, the same state gained global notoriety when in 2002, Amina Lawal, a woman from Funtua, was sentenced to death by stoning by a sharia court for committing adultery. Another court in Funtua upheld the decision but in 2003, it was overturned following local and international outrage.
  As state governor, he stated that sharia was the solution to electoral frauds. He said:  “…the implementation of the divine law of Sharia had made it most imperative to begin the campaign of cleansing our souls from any malpractice, be it election related or otherwise.” However, he was not a governor without enemies. In August 2000, his political foes sourced N300 million to impeach him from office using the Katsina State House of Assembly. He was accused of awarding mouthwatering contracts to companies of his friends and selling 1000 presidential campaign 504 Peugeot cars bought by his late brother Shehu in 1994 to the Katsina State House of Assembly, parastatals and ministries in the state at outrageous amounts. He was also accused of gross inefficiency and being despotic.
BECOMING NIGERIA’S PRESIDENT
 In 2006, the night of 16th till the morning of 17th of December, politicians from all over the country converged in Abuja to select the presidential candidate for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The elections were to come up in April 2007. With the heavy support of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Yar’adua managed to secure the votes of 3,024 PDP delegates, beating Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha to a distant second place with just 372 votes. Yar’adua’s emergence at that time came as a big surprise to many, and that was because very few Nigerians outside Katsina State even knew him. He was very simple, kinda reclusive and was later viewed as a puppet of Obasanjo. Not long after he won the nomination, he selected the Governor of oil-rich Bayelsa State, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to be his vice-presidential running mate. His major opponents for the presidency were Major-General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
  There were some other factors that worked in Yar’adua’s favour. One was that he was one of the very few state governors that were considered clean and corruption-free, having being given a clean slate of record by the nation’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). His late brother, Shehu Musa Yar’adua, was also the deputy to Obasanjo when he was the military head of state.

THE LATE SHEHU MUSA YAR’ADUA.
  Although he won the elections, it was not an easy one for Yar’adua as he started manifesting some health problems barely even before the elections started. As at 2007, he was battling a kidney disease but his handlers tried their best to keep a lid over the matter. In fact, in order to douse tensions, he challenged anyone who said he was not fit to a game of squash. But the façade could not be kept for too long because on the 6th of March, 2007, he was hurriedly flown to Germany when his health took a turn for the worse. The rumour mill went on an overdrive and all sorts of tales were flying about, one even had it that the presidential aspirant collapsed due owing to a likely heart attack. But from his bed in Germany, Yar’adua debunked all these tales, stating that he was doing well and would be back to his campaigns.

THE YAR’ADUA PRESIDENCY
   He was back and on the 21st of April, 2007, the presidential elections were held. When the results were released on the 23rd of April, 2007, Yar’adua won with a convincing 24.6 million votes representing 70% of the electorate. Fierce criticisms were fired from the opposition with very loud shouts of rigging allegations. Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP and Atiku Abubakar said that there were heavy forms of rigging to favour Yar’adua all over the country. Later, Yar’adua himself would admit that the elections that brought him to power were far from being free and fair, and he was set on electoral reforms.
  Following his victory, Yar’adua called for a government of national unity which would include members of the opposition parties in his presidency. By June 2007, some of the opposition parties agreed to be a part of his regime, and these were the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA).
  General Buhari of the ANPP and Atiku Abubakar filed petitions before the courts asking that the results of the Nigerian presidential elections of 2007 be declared null and void owing to allegations of fraud. However, on the 26th of February 2008, the petitions were rejected. The duo vowed to pursue their cases right up to the Supreme Court but all efforts to knock Yar’adua out of Aso Rock failed.
   On the 28th of June, 2007, Yar’adua became the first Nigerian leader to publicly declare his assets. The declaration revealed that he had the total sum of ₦856,452,892 million naira in assets (about $5.8 million) out of which ₦19 million (over $100,000) belonged to his wife, Hajia Turai. The sum of ₦88,793,269.77 (about half a million dollars) was also declared in liabilities. Yar’adua had promised during his campaigns that should he be elected President, he would declare his assets so as to set an example for other Nigerian leaders and also serve as a move to deter corruption. His assets of over N800 million was widely considered meagre by Nigerians and many saw him as ‘poor’ in relation to his what his other peers could boast of. But Yar’adua did not seem to be a man given to so much wealth accumulation, greed and avarice.
THE YAR’ADUA CABINET
 On the 26th of July 2007, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua sworn in a new cabinet made up of 39 ministers (including two from the opposing ANPP). Some members of Yar’adua’s cabinet were:

-Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Vice President

-Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

-Professor Dora Akunyili, Information and Communication Minister.



-Dr. Abba Sayyadi Ruma, Agriculture and Water Resources Minister.

-Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, Health Minister.

-Dr. Rilwanu Lukman, Petroleum Resources Minister.

– Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Ministers: Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN), Michael Aondoakaa.
-Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Foreign Affairs Minister.
-Alhaji Jibril Maigari, Foreign Affairs Minister 1 (State)

-Senator Adamu Aliero, Federal Capital Territory Minister.

-Tanimu Yakubu, Chief Economic Adviser to the President.

-Dr. Hassan Lawal, Works and Housing Minister.

INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT YAR’ADUA

-Umaru Musa Yar’adua was the first president of Nigeria to be a university graduate.

– He loved the game of squash.