School Closure: Kaduna Journalist Chides Sowore, NANS, CAN, others for criticising northern governors’ actions

By Osaro Michael, Benin

A Kaduna based Journalist, Abdullahi Alhassan has slammed a former Presidential candidate and a Human rights activist, Mr Wole Sowore, the Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) over their criticism of some Northern governors for closing schools in their respective states in this year’s Ramadan.

In a Press statement signed and made available to newsmen in Kaduna by Mal. Abdullahi Alhassan reads “It’s quite unfortunate that people of Mr Sowore’s standing, someone who was one time a presidential aspirant is ignorant of the system we are practicing in Nigeria. It is quite unfortunate that the Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN ) and National Association of Nigerian students (NANS) share thought with Mr Sowore in this issue.

The statement added “Nigeria as a country is practicing Federalism and by federalism it means every component parts of the country and or the state has the right to introduce what is peaceable to its own people based on its history, environment, religion, and beliefs etc.

“It is laughable and very unfortunate that people of his standing make this gutter statement that those states who close schools are wronged or do not take education seriously simply because they close schools during the Holy month of Ramadan.

The statement maintained that “Federalism requires that every segment of the society governs itself based on its prerequisite which are its own traditions, environment, beliefs , norms and values . So if any northern state feels that closing schools during the Holy month Ramadan aligns with its own history, beliefs, values, environment, and religion so be it.

“There’s no system in this county that requires that we must do things uniformly I think what is of essence to every Nigerian student is to cover the syllabus he or she is expected to cover before writing his final exams at the end of his study period. For instance, students of secondary school who write WAEC or NECO usually have a syllabus to cover before undertaking their final year exams. It is left to the school authority in these respective states to plan how to cover the syllabus for their students who will take the same exams with their fellow students in others states. For instance, if Kano state feels its students and their teachers should observe their Holy month of Ramadan because its aligns with its own history, beliefs, environment, tradition and values so be it.

“But however, what is of necessary and of importance for Kano state government is to provide a remedy within which the missing weeks will be augmented either after the Ramadan or before the Ramadan. This all defends on how the educational authority in Kano state plans its academic calendar.

He further explained that ” it is laughable and quite unfortunate for someone who wants to rule this county as president does not recognize our system or does not even understand the system we practice in Nigerian. We are practicing federalism not unitary system of government which requires uniformity. It is only unity state that if you are practicing one thing in Kano it must go all over the country. We are practicing federalism which is a system that provides for every state to come up with laws, rules, and regulations that align with their own history , environment, beliefs, values and traditions.

” Mr Sowore should please and please go back to school and learn the doctrine of federalism especially as a presidential aspirant who wants to govern this county. It will be a disaster to govern a country you do not know its laws. Mr Sowore or any other person who feels offended by the closure of the schools should please and please go back to school and learn the principles of federalism.

“If you go to the united state of America for instance their laws are not uniform throughout the country. In some state it is allowed to bear Gun while in other states it is not allowed to bear Gun. There are a number of laws which are obtainable for instance in the state of Arizona which not the same in California, that is federalism for you.

” In Nigeria as a country we are practicing federalism which allow us to govern ourselves based on our history, environment , beliefs, tradition and religion.

E-sign.

Abdullahi Alhassan.

Journalist, Translator, interpreter, Transcriber, Mobilizer, Peace Advocate.