Truth Is Bitter Series (Ep 11)

Short satirical reflections on faith, society and the uncomfortable truths we avoid. First published in the Jumada al-Ula/al-Akhirah 1431 AH (2010) print edition of The PEACE Magazine.

By Abdulfattah Abdussalam

Yerima’s Mistake
The former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmad Sani Yerima, made the implementation of Sharia a cornerstone of his administration. The move earned him significant support among Muslims both within and outside the state, and he was widely regarded as a hero. However, some segments of the Nigerian media were critical of his policies, even as his supporters maintained that his intentions were well-placed. However, his recent action of getting married to a thirteen-year-old Egyptian girl and celebrating such in the hostile Nigerian news media, questions his state of Islamic being! It is repugnant that a man of his status would play into the hands of enemies without precaution! His actions, rather than giving Islam a deserving image, are denting it. It has also been reported that, in his intention to marry a teenager, he divorced one of his four wives. This, some argue, reflects the conduct of certain so-called Muslim leaders in the country.

May Allah help our Children
Perhaps more than ever, we should add this prayer to our supplications as much as we ask for Allah’s blessing and favour. Our children in this perilous time need to be protected by all means. This chilling story said it all. A sixteen-year-old student of a school is now cooling his heels at the Ogun State Force Headquarters, Abeokuta, for killing his classmate with poison. Unknown to the deceased, he collected a bottle he thought contained ordinary water from the culprit and drank the water to quench his thirst, but alas, it contained poison! The prayer is more important because many of our children do this on a regular basis and who knows which water is poisonous. In addition to the prayer, we need to tell our children to be careful, never drink from others, and be prayerful.

IWU: Victory for the masses?
The recent sacking of Maurice Iwu, the former chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, gives hope to Nigeria’s democracy and suggests that its leaders might be listening. The battle to remove him was fierce, but in the end, the man many believed to be a harbinger of troubled elections was shown the way out. At this juncture, it is worth asking why individuals from the eastern region of the River Niger are so often appointed as chairmen of the electoral body. Regrettably, some of these appointments have proved disappointing. We believe the clamour for reform should also include a departure from the existing zonal pattern from which such appointments are frequently made. Except for Prof Humphrey Nwosu, who conducted the annulled June 12 elections others were a disgrace to democracy!

Editor’s Note: Truth Is Bitter is a weekly reflective and satirical column drawn from the “Front of the Book” pages of PEACE Magazine. It seeks to provoke introspection, not hostility; reform, not ridicule.

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