BROTHERHOOD, A DIME WORTH

……By Poetic Tee (“Here, Take A Sip”)

Thursday 14th Feb, 3rd Millennium
A friend got a body buried
A brother a divine trust betrayed

After witnessing, shocking indeed it was
To discover blood brotherhood
A mere dime worth, not more. What!!!

A true distress-call
But two chose to ignore
Why? One might ask, even wonder

A ride at a funeral
Another next to it with hope… dashed
Till one left then come to rav off

Not too far a call 6-7 times made
Connecting each time only
To snub a blood's call for help

To rule out any doubt a turn made
Arrived a dwell hoping, praying
But alas! Truly, deliberately failed

A sad soul with 2 simple options
Speech is silver, silence is gold
Against the better pick, love for thyself

Be mute? Best drop a line for 2
Yes reach out, as Allah SWT
Made flesh nay blood thicker than water

As we thank God for making us
The "i" seeks sincerely, forgiveness
Hard though to forget, hard

Tijjani M.M. (c) 2008

WIVES OF YESTERDAY,TODAY AND TOMORROW

All those who have sons now, my profound sympathy

Those who have daughters, congrats

And for such a society, well.... your guess is as good as mine

Minglin' Tee

MTN N60 MILLION SPONSORSHIP FOR

KANO INTERNATIONAL POLO TOURNAMENT

CONCLUDED

Mrs Bilkiss Usman Abubakar, Me and MTN's Andrew Okeleke

I was @ The MTN Grand Gala Night/MTN Innovations Day held recently on Friday 3rd July 2009 at French Cafe Race Course, Kano Nigeria to mark a successful 3 years Sponsorship (2007, 2008 & 2009) of the Kano International Polo Tournament by MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd to the tune of N60, 000,000 (Sixty Million Naira Only)

A SPECIAL GIFT FROM ALLAH (SWT)

TO: THE ABUBAKAR DANLADI FAMILY

Hadiza (Siyam) Abubakar Danladi

*********************************************

TO: THE IMAMU ADAMU ALIYU FAMILY

Aysha Imamu Adamu Aliyu

********************************************

TO: THE TIJJANI MUHAMMAD MUSA FAMILY

Aminah (Aamanah) Tijjani Muh'd

***********************************************

TO: THE SHITU ABDULKADIR FAMILY

Maryam Shitu AbdulKadir

HIP-HOP WORLD AWARDS 2009

WINNERS

Tuesday May 19, 2009

Artiste of the Year - 9ice

Album of the Year - 9ice

Song of the Year - Gongo Aso by 9ice

Recording of the Year - Michelle by Etcetera

Producer of the Year - ID Cabasa

African Artiste of the Year - Tinny

Best Music Video - Roll It by Jude Okoye

Best Reggae/Dancehall Album - Gift and Grace by Timaya

Best R and B/Pop Album - Gongo Aso by 9ice

Best Rap Album - Talk About It by M.I

Best Collabo - Good or Bad by J. Martins featuring Timaya and P Square

Best Rap Single - Ki Ni Big Deal by Naeto C

Best Vocal Performance (male) - Don't Break My Heart by Banky W

Best Vocal Performance (female) - In The Music by Omawumi

Next Rated - Omawumi

Hip Hop World Revelation - M.I

Lyricist on the Roll - Mode 9

Best Street Hop - 04 Ka Si Be

Hip Hop World Hall of Fame - Phillip Trimnell, Grand Master Lee

HONORING MICHEAL JACKSON IN NAIJA

W H A T !!! CBN to honour M.J. Okay by you?

Contributed by Abubakar A. Danladi

My Blog Invitation Responses

Engr. Shitu AbdulKadir (System Designer)
Date: 18:07/2009
Time: 21:31:23
I hav seen ur blog, is really interestin, though I bliv mor wil b commin 4rm u

Maijidda "MJ" (Student BUK)
Date: 17/07/2009
Time: 22:54:46
Hi! Didn't gt a chance 2 visit ur blog bt tld a frnd abt it & he tld me it wz fantastic. So I said Tj hz done it again, lyk he did many times b4. As 4 sis 'n' bros, dey r congratulatn u d success of anoda gr8 thing. Yallah bye!

Andrew Okeleke (GSM Corporate Officer)
Date: 17/07/2009
Time: 20:35:52
Thanks for the pix. Your blog site is beautiful. Keep it up

Muhammad Aminu Jolly (Broadcaster)
Date: 17/07/2009
Time: 07:37:00
Been 2 ur blog, quiet smashing & captivating. I luv the pic of the sweet, cute, adorable baby! Keep it up there!

Muhammad Musa Muhammad Nya (Broadcaster)
Date: 16/07/2009
Time: 14:13
I've seen your site and it's wonderful. Congrats

Auwalu Diso (Author, Publisher)
Date: 16/07/2009
Time: 13:04
Nice blog; nice blogger

Ansar Imam Galadanci (Real Estate Dealer)
Date: 15/07/2009
Time: 08:06:09
Slm u have a fantastic site. I even tried to write and comment on it but my message didn't go. I wonder why? Though I was asked to write a friend's address, so I didn't understand. May be that was why

Nasir Sa'id Adhama (Politician)
Date: 13/07/2009
Time: 20:24:57
Wallahi very impressive n I will send my msg soon cos I read what is on d blog

Comrade Iliyasu Ibrahim Zwall, (Civil Servant, Bauchi )
Date: 13:07:2009
Time: 00:23:10
Aslm alykm, noted & thanks. I’m right now in Jalingo. Internet services very poor. ‘ll do just that on return to Bauchi at the end of the month. Thanks 4 considering me worthy (of d invitation 2 c d blog). Best wishes & regards. Wslm alykm

AbdulFatah Aliyu (Infotech/Telecoms)
Date: 12/07/2009
Time: 22:34:58
Salam I got ur msg. its very ok infact its great. Wld see 2moro insha Allah

Umma Haruna Ungogo (Youth Activist)
Date: 12:07:2009
Time: 22:33:08
O.k no problem, yah Kano?

Safiyyah Abba Abubakar (Educationist)
Date: 12:07:2009
Time: 22:23:02
That’s wonderful. Will do that insha Allah.

Salihu Tanko Yakasai (Politician)
Date: 12:07:2009
Time: 21:22:16
I wil sir, hope all is well? Thanx.

Femi Moito (School Proprietor)
Date: 12:07:2009
Time: 21:1:37
Good good. Very nice

Kamilu Yakubu (Administrator)
Date: 12:07:2009
Time: 20:55:03
I’ve got it. Thanks

Engr. Musa Muhammad (Lecturer)
Date: 12:07:2009
Time: 16:37:37
Assalamu alakum wa rahamatullah wa barakatuhu (AAWW) Ai kai ne Yallabai. Thanks

Nura A. Kakira (Banker)
Date: 12:07:2009
Time: 15:57:16
Ok malam. Alwz ahead. Wil see u whn am in town so u can create one 4 me to use wth my blackberry.

Aminu Abubakar (Quantity Surveyor)
Date: 12:07:2009
Time: 15:07:07
Wallahi I enjoyed reading thru. When will the book be ready? Allah ya raya mana Aamanah, ameen

A LAUGH’S WORTH

"TIGER WOODS?"

A young black man went to a shopping mall to buy some provisions. Enjoying the calm, serene environment he noticed a pretty young Chinese woman in a t-shirt and tight jeans stealing a glance at him. At first, he made nothing of it until he caught her a second time, after which she quickly looked away with a barely noticeable smile. Aware of the fact that she liked him but seem a little shy, he decided to save her from the dilemma.

So he approached her but realized the possibility of her not understanding a single word of English. Afraid that this language barrier could stop a possible exciting romance from developing, he moved over to her, wearing the cutest smile on his face and said “Hey! You, me…. Tiger Woods?”

AL-MU'ALLIM

A song from Sami Yusuf's maiden album "Al-Mu'allim" (c) Awakening 2003

We once had a Teacher
The Teacher of teachers,
He changed the world for the better
And made us better creatures,
Oh Allah we’ve shamed ourselves
We’ve strayed from Al-Mu'allim,
Surely we’ve wronged ourselves
What will we say in front him?
Oh Mu'allim...

Chorus
He was Muhammad salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
Muhammad, mercy upon Mankind,
He was Muhammad salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
Muhammad, mercy upon Mankind,
Teacher of all Mankind.

Abal Qasim [one of the names of the Prophet]
Ya Habibi ya Muhammad
(My beloved O Muhammad)
Ya Shafi'i ya Muhammad
(My intercessor O Muhammad)
Khayru khalqillahi Muhammad
(The best of Allah’s creation is Muhammad)
Ya Mustafa ya Imamal Mursalina
(O Chosen One, O Imam of the Messengers)
Ya Mustafa ya Shafi'al 'Alamina
(O Chosen One, O intercessor of the worlds)

He prayed while others slept
While others ate he’d fast,
While they would laugh he wept
Until he breathed his last,
His only wish was for us to be
Among the ones who prosper,
Ya Mu'allim peace be upon you,
Truly you are our Teacher,
Oh Mu'allim..

Chorus

Ya Habibi ya Muhammad
(My beloved O Muhammad)
Ya Shafi'i ya Muhammad
(My intercessor O Muhammad)
Ya Rasuli ya Muhammad
(O My Messenger O Muhammad)
Ya Bashiri ya Muhammad
(O bearer of good news O Muhammad)
Ya Nadhiri ya Muhammad
(O warner O Muhammad)
'Ishqu Qalbi ya Muhammad
(The love of my heart O Muhammad)
Nuru 'Ayni ya Muhammad
(Light of my eye O Muhammad)

He taught us to be just and kind
And to feed the poor and hungry,
Help the wayfarer and the orphan child
And to not be cruel and miserly,
His speech was soft and gentle,
Like a mother stroking her child,
His mercy and compassion,
Were most radiant when he smiled

Chorus

Abal Qasim [one of the names of the Prophet]
Ya Habibi ya Muhammad
(My beloved O Muhammad)
Ya Shafi'i ya Muhammad
(My intercessor O Muhammad)
Khayru khalqillahi Muhammad
(The best of Allah’s creation is Muhammad)
Ya Mustafa Ya Imamal Mursalina
(O Chosen One O Imam of the Messengers)
Ya Mustafa ya Shafi'al 'Alamina
(O Chosen One O intercessor of the worlds)

RESTORING THE GOOD VIRTUES OF HAUSA PEOPLE

By Dr. Abdullahi Dahiru, Kano

The Hausa people of Northern Nigeria were known for some of their virtues that made them exemplary among the tribes of Nigeria. Values such as honesty, entrepreneurship, scholarship, piety, dignity and respect for elders are desirable virtues among the Hausa. Today some of these virtues are fast disappearing; scholarship giving way to ignorance; honesty to dishonesty; entrepreneurship to begging and destitution; piety to transgression and respect for elders to that of wealth and affluence. This is the hallmark of our society today.

I remember as a child growing up in Kano, I don’t see beggars the way as see them now. They now seem to be every where, from mosques to streets and markets. We have allowed children that are potential engineers, doctors and lawyers to roam the streets seeking for food and alms, without any body seeming to care for them in name of almajiranci. Some of these children in the end do not learn anything but thuggery and hooliganism; as if we want to relegate scholarship and revere ignorance.

From Lagos, Abuja to Kano, the Hausa man is the predominant destitute among the many tribes of Nigeria. These people have abandoned the virtue of entrepreneurship and self reliance and have chosen for themselves a life of laziness and destitution. They have abandoned our age-old crafts like farming, dyeing, blacksmithing and trading and have flooded into the cities to earn a living as beggars.

We remain the most backward in terms of enrollment in schools and even where the children are enrolled in schools we don’t have quality education either because the money that is supposed to be appropriated to the school has been siphoned by a greedy politician or the teacher that is supposed to be in the classroom refuse to teach and instead choose to remain chatting in staff room or has deliberately absent herself or himself from work on flimsy excuse.

Some of the young girls that are supposed to be in school parade the streets hawking kola nut and kunu, only to be cajoled by a cunning adult into having sexual relations leading to unwanted pregnancy. The parent may resort to seek for termination of the pregnancy through a quack doctor leading to loss of live of the girl or leading to serious morbidity.

Another feature of the degradation of the Hausa society today, is the problem of drug abuse and thuggery. Abuse of drugs like marijuana and stimulants like amphetamine is becoming rampant in our society. These drug- addicted youth are increasingly been recruited by politicians to cause trouble during political campaigns and rallies. It appears to me that some parents nowadays behave as if they are not the ones entrusted with the responsibility of training and proper upbringing of their children.

My mother used to tell me a story of how formerly a marriage is contracted between a young man and a woman without any of them meeting each other till when the bride is taken to the groom’s house, they will accept to stay as husband and wife just because of the respect they have for their parents and the woman will remain in the man’s house till death will separate them.

What do we have today? Rate of divorce is rising everyday. There is increasing glamour during wedding, only for the woman to be divorced after one month, because, the elders can no longer arbitrate between disputing couple. Their wise words are no longer relevant anymore; the society glorifies only wealth and affluence.

Every body in our society seems to pretend as if nothing is wrong with our society today, certainly we are gradually losing our age-old good values and our society is decaying fast. If we want our society to progress in corporate Nigeria, we must restore our good values like honesty, entrepreneurship, piety, dignity and respect for elders that have once made us proud. The time for action is now, not later

Email:http://uk.mc246.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=maikanodahiru@yahoo.com

NB The article was published in Daily Trust of 30th April and reproduced on Weekly Trust of May 2nd 2009

SMS 4 U ( A Text Worth Sharing)

BEWARE OF FRAUDSTERS

Dr. Abdullahi Dahiru (080343107..):

"MTN has sent me an email that i have won 1 million due to recharge cards i buy via interswitch. I will give you 20% when i collect the money."

My Response:

Dr. Abdullahi, its a FRAUDULENT TEXT MESSAGE and definitely not from MTN, however if I happen to be wrong, I will gratefully relieve you of the 20%, if you can collect the money (Hahaha!)

Aamanah & I

My beautiful, cute and adorable daughter AaMANAH
Sleeping peacefully in my arm.

Another good reason for me to thank Allah SWT for His Grace and Mercy upon my soul.

ALHAMDULILLAH>

Full Moon - 14th Rajab

This is a photo I snapped on the night of 14th Rajab.

The Moon as you can see is full and beautiful.

Take your mind off routine and enjoy the gift of Allah

SMS 4 U

Tips 4 Ur Survival:

If u wnt 2 b angry, watch Obasanjo talk
If u wnt 2 b drowsy, listen 2 Yar Adua's speeches
If u wnt 2 b bored, watch David Mark's senate
If u wnt 2 waste a whole day, attnd Bankole's house probes
If u wnt comedy, tune 2 Akunyili's rebranding
If u r allegic 2 lies, avoid Aondoaka nd Farida anti-curruption crusade
If u r disgruntled, join El-Rufai nd Ribadu
If u 've kids learnin English, avoid Turai whenever she talks.

Contributed by 080378638..

DEATH, BE WORTH IT

……By Poetic Tee (“Here, Take A Sip”)

When or where life started I know not
How and why it ends, confuses me more
Now I am here, alive, aware and fully conscious
This much I know, a nobody I wish not to be
For my existence I want registered too
So Death, be worth it

Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad
An impact on history all have made
Gandhi, Malcolm X, Sardauna and Mandela
Are some more in the Record Books II
Is it possible I could be next in queue?
Oh death, be worth it

What must I do to qualify?
Who must I see to know how?
Where must I go to certify?
Why must I be another passerby?
When would come this hidden time?
Please death, be worth it

To die unsung I do not want
A “Living Shmoo” I must not be
Dead within, coward without
Infamous, that’s not my league
Evil was their trade, so their end
Why death, be worth it

I want to be remembered, currencied
But all that glitters is usually not gold
At my burial let stand a million souls
Lamenting my passing to a greater beyond
And yet may it be known, here indeed lies a Man
Yes death, be worth it.

Tijjani M.M. c2003

WHO SHOULD THANK WHO?

(Being a chapter from my forth coming book "BEYOND IMAN")

How often have you observed this scene: Someone comes to a place, looking completely uncomposed due to a certain problem that has rendered him and all his smartness utterly useless? He stands and gazes into space, focusing on to nothing in particular, yet deeply engaged with a vision nobody else is seeing but his mind’s eye. Upon careful consideration of all his possible options, he decides to go and meet a close relative of his for assistance. After divulging his heart’s content to the attentive relative, he is told that he has just missed a perfect opportunity. If only he had come 5 minutes earlier, all his problems would have been solved. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done about his predicament at that particular moment in time as all extras reserve for assisting people has been used. Sad and further dejected, he gets up and drags his weak body out of the place.

He comes back out and had you seen him a second time, one would see him looking exactly the same as he did earlier on or even worse. He keeps quiet for a while, only for another "good" friend of his to come into focus and without much ado he takes off to the friend’s house, only to be told the person has travelled the week before. Again he is back to “Square A” as the saying goes. This time around, a neighbour comes into his mind and against his pride and better judgement he forces himself to go and table his case, per chance he might find the relief he has been looking for, a loan. Once more after hearing him out, the neighbor cooks up an excuse and pleasantly denies him the much needed assistance.

Almost frustrated, he thought to himself “And the most annoying part of it all is, they always let me tell them the ugly development first, exposing my intimate fears and secret, then they tell me ‘Sorry, there nothing I can do for you’. Why do they listen to my pains first? May be they even enjoying it, watching me suffer. And my friend just travelled out of town without informing me. Yet he calls himself a friend. Even though, so and so owes me money, its going to be the same story if I should go asking for it. ‘I don’t have anything to pay you, please come next week, or next month, or even next year’ Wicked people all over the place, feeling comfortable with people money in their hands ” So he thinks on and on and on.

Now, while in this critical dilemma as he walks absent mindedly across a road, a man driving a very expensive car hits him. He gets hauled into the air, falling on top of some crate of eggs just delivered and waiting to be moved into a grocery store. Dazed and bruised from the fall, with raw eggs splattered all over him, the car driver after stopping comes to him in a rush amidst other passersby. They help him to his feet, with the driver expressing his sincere apologies and at the same time enquiring if the man is hurt anywhere worriedly looking him all over to see any sign of a wound. From no where, the store owner emerges and seeing the poor shaking man covered in egg shells, yolk and all, holds on to the man's pants, demanding to be paid every single egg that has broken, at the same time shouting on the poor man to clean up the mess.

The car driver, though aware of the fact the it is the man’s fault that the accident has happened, pleads on his behalf, explaining that the man must be in shock and should not be shaken further by the shop owner, who continues the shouting session any way, demanding to be paid for his crates of eggs. The driver, as sympathetic and involved in the incident as he is could not afford to pay the shop owner. So he begs the shop owner further, all to no avail. Other passersby try to calm the shop owner down but no one seem to be succeeding. The estranged man is obviously in another fresh fix and upon realising the situation at hand, he sits back on the road tar mark, resigning his fate to whatever might wish to befall him further.

As things seem to progress from bad to worse, a kind hearted man among the on-lookers decides to interfere and immediately offers to pay off the damage. He then takes the still shocked man aside and gives him some money to help him with possible medication bill, just in case it is discovered that the man might need to go to the hospital after getting home. He even offers to take him home to which the man politely decline. Assured the man is alright, the driver is relived and quickly gets in his car drives off. The man, though still covered in raw eggs, wipes off tears from his eyes with his messy yolk covered right hand and focus on the content in his other hand. Seeing money in his hand, he gradually starts to come back to his senses. When the man looks closely at the amount given to him, he discovers that it will completely solve his entire problems with a lot more to spare. So, he could not help but start thanking and smiling at the kind man, who seems much more worried than any others people, still standing all around.

“Alhamdullillah, alhamdullillah. Thank you, thank you, thank you very very much” he keeps saying again and again almost embarrassing his “angel”, who in return says to him “No, please don’t thank me. I should be thanking you for accepting my offer. Honestly, I am the one who is grateful to my Lord and so the one who should be thanking you” But the yolk covered man keeps on thanking him and smiling despite his pains as he struggles to a standing position “No, no, you don’t understand. May be you would not understand, but thank you a 1000 times” says the poor man. Others observing the development become dumb founded at the turn of events. The sudden change in attitude of the poor man seem confusing to the crowd. First he looks so much in distress, but all of a sudden he could not stop smiling and thanking the kind man who seems more grateful to the man for accepting his assistance.

One of them who could not hold his patience taps the kind-hearted man on the shoulder from behind and asks “Why are you thanking him, when it is you who has helped the poor man. You deserve all the thanks” The kind man smiled at the ignorance of the questioner and those other curious and confused faces surrounding them. So he explains; “How often do you get the chance to do good to someone, especially if it is genuinely needed as in this situation and it does not make you feel good yourself? Has any of you ever offered to give something to someone who sincerely needs it, deserves it, favoured to receive it and his offer gets turned down by the recipient? Can any of you tell me the sadness, humiliation, embarrassment, disappointment, pain and regret among other negative feelings you experience from such a rejection?” he pauses briefly for an answer, looking at their faces.

“Don’t you see that it is only someone who wants to hurt you that would reject your offer of anything? If someone you love wants to punish you, they refuse to accept your gift of love. How terrible does that make you feel? If a commoner wants to be famous, he refuses a bountiful offering from a king. If a hero desires to discredit an honor, he refuses to accept it. And if a child wants to make his parents feel guilty for life, he denies them the opportunity to rescue him from imminent danger or death. Need I say more?” He again waits for any one to answer, on getting none he continues “So who should be thanking who?

Now you can understand why I should be the one thanking him for accepting my offer to salvage the chaos. For it is ALLAH Subhanahu wa Ta’ala Who has accepted it from me through him. Had he refused, it would be most painful for me bear the humiliation of the rejection, for I would surely know that my Lord has rejected my offer through this tested man and that would have done more damage to my peace of mind than to the fragile eggs of the store owner or to the peace on this street. As for him (he point to the recipient), he should thank his Lord for using me to save him from the distress he has found himself in”

Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. Behold! They each presented a sacrifice (to Allah): It was accepted from one, but not from the other. Said the latter: “Be sure I will slay thee” “Surely,” said the former, “Allah doth accept of the sacrifice of those who are righteous” Q5:27

So the next time someone asks you for help or assistance or if you go out to give charity, or you find someone attractive and summon the courage to approach and offer your undying love, or you are invited to visit the homeless or you decide to visit the sick in a hospital, do pray to Allah SWT that what you are offering gets accepted, for if the opposite should happen, you might taste a feeling that would leave you forever drained. And when it is accepted be grateful to the recipient and ultimate to your LORD ALLAH AZZA WA JALLAH.

May Allah SWT accept all our good deeds and reward us with the peace of mind associated with our offers being accepted by HIM and every one.