Take My Gist

  Let's be honest. In Nigeria today, you can be employed and still be broke. You can wake up by 4:30am, beat traffic, work 8 to 5, close late, and by the 15th of the month, your salary has already finished talking. Transport has taken one part, food has taken another, black tax, data, light, school fees - before you say "God provide," the alert is gone. And then someone tells you, "At least you have a job, you should be grateful." You ARE grateful. But you are also tired. And those two feelings can exist in the same heart. Wanting more does not mean you are ungrateful. It means you are honest with yourself. 1. Gratitude is not supposed to be a cage. We were raised to manage, to endure, to say "at least." At least you have work, at least salary dey enter. But gratitude was never meant to keep you stuck in a place that is clearly not enough. You can thank God for where you are, and still be honest that where you are cannot carry where you are going. A sa...

He is humble, caring and helpful leader whose style of representation has redefined what it means to truly touch the heart of the people irrespective of their place of origin. From Niger East Senatorial District, Zone B of Niger State, Distinguished Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, CON, popularly known as 313, has today distinguished himself not only as the best Senator from Niger State but as one of the best performing Senators in Nigeria. His philanthropy is not seasonal but consistent and deeply rooted in compassion for humanity. In a rare demonstration of empathy and responsibility, he pledged to sponsor the education of all victims of a mining incident who are interested in going to school, from secondary school to university. To cushion the immediate hardship of the affected families, he donated the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira each to the survivors, One Million Naira each to the families of the deceased, and 600 bags of 50kg rice to be shared among the affected families. Histor...

~~ Hauwee Saeed  The number of women vying for political positions in Nigeria is too low compared to the 2023 General Elections. This is a worrying development for our democracy. Why are women going down in numbers to contest elections, rather than just being followers or being used by men to win elections? Today, women are the biggest mobilizers during campaigns. They are everywhere at rallies and on election day. Yet, when it comes to being on the ballot, their numbers are dropping. We must ask the hard questions. Why are women retreating? It is due to high cost of politics, lack of party support, intimidation, and most importantly, lack of unity among women themselves. Even when we have a good example in Niger State, where all 25 Local Governments now have female Vice-Chairmen through the deliberate political strategy of Farmer Governor Umaru Bago, other states are not emulating it. Other states need to encourage and support women in politics. Also, our women need to wake up and...

In a true democracy, political parties win the heart of the electorate through strategy, ideas, and superior programmes, not through deceit, lies, insults and hate speech. What I am observing in Niger State politics today is not campaign. It is envy. It is lack of education on what real politics is. Especially from the opposition. If you want to unseat a ruling party in 2027, you must tell the people what you will do better. What is your alternative blueprint for education, healthcare, roads, agriculture, power/renewable energy and security? How will you improve on what is on ground? Why resort to insults and blackmail against the ruling party and the Governor? That is not campaign. That is not political sense. And it will not win you the 2027 elections. Let us be honest: No one can say the present Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has done nothing in the last three years. From Minna to the 25 Local Governments, every local is benefiting from the New Niger agenda — roads, urban renewal, a...

Heart to Heart with Hajara – Series 8: “We Look Happy to Outsiders… But Something Is really Missing in Our Marriage.” “Hajiya, we look very fine when people see us. I hear this most often especially from women. “We don't fight.” “We are together.” “I still cook, and he eats.” “He still takes care of the family.” “I am still young, neat and beautiful, but he doesn't seem to desire me anymore.” “So, what is the problem?” But sometimes, when you listen a little deeper, you realise that something is surely missing. The couple is not fighting. They are still together. They are still doing their responsibilities. But somewhere along the way, they have become disconnected. They live in the same house, sleep in the same room and take care of the same children, but slowly, they begin to look more like strangers. The conversations become: “What are we eating?” “Have you picked up the children?” “Did you pay the bill?” “What time are you coming home?” “Please send me money.” Everything ...

  Heart to Heart with Hajara – Series 7: TOGETHER, WE CAN BUILD HEALTHY MARRIAGES We Prepare So Much for the Wedding. But Are We Preparing People for Marriage? Have you ever noticed how much preparation goes into a wedding? Families start planning months ahead. There are clothes to sew, food to arrange, guests to invite, venues to decorate, photographs to take and so many other things to put in place. And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. A wedding is a beautiful occasion. It is a day families look forward to and celebrate. But sometimes, I find myself asking: While we are preparing so much for the wedding, are we preparing the people for the marriage? Because the wedding is one day. Marriage is the life that comes after that day. And this conversation is not only for the bride and groom. It is for all of us. For the parents. For the older brothers and sisters. For the aunties and uncles. For the guardians. For the friends who may know the couple better than anyone else. ...

Heart to Heart with Hajara – Series 6: Together, We Can Build Healthy Marriages “I’m Just Managing.” Is That Really What Marriage Is All About These Days? It's like everybody is now managing in marriage because I hear people say this quite often: “Hajiya, I am just managing oh.” “I am only staying because of the children.” “At this point, I have accepted my fate.” “He is never going to change.” Or… “She is never going to change.” Both men and women are complaining. They are still married. They are still living together. In some cases, they are still doing what couples do behind closed doors. They are still intimate. While in some cases, they live like roommates. But deep down, they are tired. Very tired. They are no longer trying to make the marriage better. They are simply trying to survive it. Some even go into open marriages where each party does as they wish. But then I ask again: Is that what a healthy marriage is supposed to be? Is this what people actually signed up for? Yes...