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A kingdom at war with itself will collapse. A home divided against itself is doomed. [Jesus, Mark 3:24-25] The newly-established course - Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (GSP2222) - was one of the courses that I ever appreciated better than any other General Study Program existing in the cradle of Bayero University Kano when I was in Level 200. Before, I was excellently ignorant about the concept of conflict talkless of its resolution. But destiny afterward selected me among those that witnessed the inauguration of the embryonic course. I was taught in the course that “Conflict is defined as state of opposition, disagreement or incompatibility between two or more people or groups of people, which is sometimes characterized by physical violence (Wikipedia). In political terms, “conflict” refers to an ongoing state of hostility between two or more groups of people. As taught in the social sciences, conflict is seen as a situation when two or more parties, with perceived incompatible goals, seek to undermine each other’s goal-seeking capability. Therefore, it can be said that conflicts refer to the existence of clash of interests, values, actions or directions.” If this is the case, could a man survive without receiving astonishing visitation of conflicts? Man can never exist without befriending oppositions. Allah has willed for this world to be filled with two opposites. From Adam down to the last born baby, no two people are exactly the same in appearance. Why should they be the same in mannerisms? It’s becoming impracticable nowadays to get a fraction of a second free of argumentative conversation plentifully oozing from people’s mouth in consequence of opposing objectives. Every time and every situation has its own series of predicaments. In a situation where new brand of initiative is unpredictably introduced, hardly ever can it get hold of universal appreciation or to be devoid of critical annotations, notwithstanding, the magnitude of its significance or otherwise. At times, optimistic innovations face more challenges, more defiance, and more insubordination worse than the pessimistic ones. The issue of marriage amongst the students of Aminu Kano Collage of Islamic and Legal Studies ‘AKCILS’ has been the animated discussion bestowed with the privilege of dominating the oral-cavity of its extended family and well-wishers for almost a couple of months. This issue of miscellaneous viewpoints has re-awakened the slumbering agony of some lecturers that they, without further ado, started unleashing a thunderous storm of remonstration upon the proposal. Both parties of opposers and supporters are looking at it from dissimilar bearing. The former has their own bundles of convincing reasons for tightening the muscle of their faces against it; likewise the later has their own credible justifications for smiling at it. It is left for the swarming audience to comparatively moderate. According to the acidic and ear-piercing arguments of the contrasting party, they prophesy it as a smokescreen and red herring. If there is no any surreptitious plan, why were they deprived of radiating their personal perceptions prior to the public pronouncement? Most of them were notified amidst their last ‘Jurist Week’ conducted in the school theatre. This is not among the principal assignments of the school authorities that its abolition would position the creditable advancement of the school on the scale of retardation. This is an improper idea that has no vacancy in the five senses of a right thinking person. Could this be logical in a situation where ordinary theatre built to entertain not more than 550 buttocks ends up consuming almost triple integer of its legitimate quota? Could this be commonsensical in a situation where a single classroom constructed to encircle not more than 50 students, amazingly over-loaded with tenfold of its natural quantity which is very close to impossibility for someone to provide a balancing space for a needle? How would it sound that two-thirds of students in some classes are peeping through their dusty and broken windowpane to grasp their boring lectures? Alas, some lectures are even exposed in the central mosque due to insufficient classrooms! How could this discretionary proposition expect our smile or applaud while majority of our substantial demands are trodden underfoot? We receive mammoth amount of ‘kobolessness’ in return for our marking or invigilation allowance. Even though Level coordinators’ pockets are very lucky for consuming extreme amount of N1500 per month. By turning back the wheels of history, auxiliary plans were premeditated to establish unbiased assistance; the issue of making the staff owned a plot of land was one of the indisputable paradigms. But all that are now contemptuously cast beneath the dustbin of absentmindedness and mistreatment. How nonsensical will it sound to give an offer of marriage to the person who is a complete parasite to his parents? A student that can not even afford to shoulder his transport fare for only a week! A pedestrian student riding perforated slippers from long distance of ‘Yankaba’ or ‘Rijiyar Lemo’ down to “Legal” on daily basis! A student that has no any other sources of earnings besides the meager scholarship assistance! Is it not a high degree of irrationality to assist the minority from the money generated from every student if there is an inclusive aid; such as subsidizing registration fee, or offering annual scholarship from the school bag? Redirecting the resources - gain from the students’ registration fees and forms - to what is not duty-bound of the school authorities is not the frustrating product. However, the most horrifying productivity of this fabricated agenda is its detrimental blow on ethical position of the setting. It is common knowledge that Shari’ah and moral principles are inextricably interwoven to the extent that they are powerless apart. Because shari’ah always raises its eye-brows at moral decadence. In the environment where its majority are swimming in the stream of teenage years which is the transitional stage of human development, physically and psychologically, applying formula of strictness on whatever is injurious to their discipline has to be duly observed no matter its legal recognition. In line with this, mere unforeseen declaration of the contentious motion has started to clutch not even the studious attentiveness of the students but also the ultra-sound velocity of the age-long morality of the school. A case from an unimpeachable source has it that a lady furiously reported one recalcitrant student to one of her lecturers for pestering her with ceaseless calls which inflicted upon her bitter embarrassment from her parents. To twist a knife in the wound, the accused boldly accepted the allegation with two hands thereby reinforcing his action owing to the authoritative license solely warrantable to those surrounded by the four attention-grabbing walls of AKCILS. Thus how some teenage advocates of the proposal are camouflaging under the umbrella of betrothal to chase some well-mannered ladies that are exclusively their for diploma certificate not for marriage certificate. Moreover, if the assistance is solely calculated for God-sake, why shouldn’t it be unadvertised? How would the parents feel on exposing their daughters at an auction? In addition to the raw grievances I witnessed in the school was the agonizing issue of Student Union Government (SUG) election; where a final year candidate who is having less than fortnight to decamp from the environment but (s)elected and sworn in as the president of the union nonetheless. “Who is he going to rule after writing his final examination?”, is the question waiting for equitable response. On the contrary, how would I escape from the merciless claws of injustice without visiting the web-site of the ardent supporters of this motion despite the teeming and numberless percentage of its die-hard and embittered opposers? I searched and found no where to extinguish my burning questioning. “Am’ I to keep on touring around the grave-like and uncarpeted ‘3 – in – 1’ offices of the staff, hunting for ardent and pleased supporters or to go straightforwardly and nourish my greedy mind by asking the chief architect who drew the master plan of this unprecedented idea?” That what was revolving round the border of my psyche. I took my courage in both hands and went bravely to his office, but overpowering force of improbability as whether I would be regarded or rejected made me retreat. North Pole of my mind was attracting me towards the office but the south pole of it was repulsive. Thus how I was helplessly stranded in the narrowest jail of indecision by the forces of attraction and repulsion. The weighty cargo of curiosity was about to dismantle my neck when I met up my inseparable friend, Khudubi Ali Nayaya Kampa, whom I confided with. I can not remember how we found our sandy feet profoundly submerged in the extra-large and wall-to-wall carpeted office of His Majesty, the provost, Dr. Mohd Nuruddeen Musa. No sooner our exhausted body melted in the king-like cushion chairs than I introduced my self and went ahead to accomplish my undertaking. On the process of our dialogue, he emphasized his one and only reason for carrying this bull by the horns. I wish my memory could parrot all that he articulated. Although some potion of it sounds that: “We have done this solely for the sake of Allah. We have realized that some students are willing to get marriage but severe financial damage constructs a very strong barrier against their positive mission. As a result of this, we declared the permissibility of betrothal only among the students of ‘AKCILS’. Whoever is prepared to get married should search for his taste and reconcile. They then submit their names to the assigned committee. The committee is responsible for cross-examining the eligibility or ineligibility of such contract. Among the conditions attached to its eligibility is that the suitor must have an accommodation and a job to secure her maintenance. The consent of their parents must be recommended by the committee. On the approval of their parents, that suitor is unquestionably qualified to benefit from the financial aid. It depends on which kind of assistance; it might be dowry or something else. A part from the female, it might be furniture or anything which is seen reasonable and appropriate. And the wedding Fatiha is going to be solemnized publicly in the school compound before swarming crowd; perchance, other tertiary institutions would parrot the supreme idea. And if your mind is fond of any student, your name can be enlisted”, as The Provost smilingly concluded by pulling my legs. Thus how I fell a surrendered victim to the persuasive words of Mr. Provost. I was flabbergasted on having all the sides of the argument at my fingertips. Where am’ I going to unwrap my cartons of comments? The former has its own interests, values, actions or directions incompatible and unable to coexist with the later! ‘Am I to go with the former or the latter or to act as a go-between; or to stick to the Islamic principle that says one of the good qualities of a Muslim is to stay away from what does not concern him? But the same religious conviction that also says whoever witnesses what is islamically erroneous or bad should instantaneously use his hand in revolutionizing it. Base on this, whatever creates disunion among Muslim ummah must be regarded as unbecoming, erroneous and bad. Albeit, elements of misunderstanding are created to make us better not bitter. It depends on how they are approached. And at times, human beings understand themselves better on finding long-lasting resolutions to the conflicts rotating in their midst.. Consequently, what is there erroneous or unbecoming if my fountain pen partakes in the conflict in order to contribute a needle that sews not a knife that cuts? I was in this state of unspeakable mystification when my heart did a complete somersault and started regurgitating in the interior of its deepest vacancy that “conflicts refer to the existence of clash of interests, values, actions or directions.” If this is the conflict, what should be the resolution? My latest knowledge of “Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution” has taught me that “learning to resolve conflicts involves understanding their origins, which at times might be disputes over power and resources or clash of interest - among others. Whenever I write an article about malfunctions of our spiritual leaders; I - more often than not - wrap up by emphasizing one solution which is unity. I have learnt from the aforementioned knowledge that “unity, development and cooperation are the analytical tools for peace and conflict resolution.” And wisdom always whispers in my ears that nothing is achieved in a chaotic atmosphere. A chattering bird builds no nest. The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people. By the law of union, drops of water become a sea and grains of sand become a Sahara. Had the school authorities restructured themselves thereby weakening or if possible assassinating all the aspects that promote their partition. Had they devised other suggestions that are more rational and more advantageous. Had they constructed more theatres, more lecture rooms, more offices particularly feminine offices, more packing tents. Had they employed more lecturers. Had they enlarged the narrow size of their Part-Timers’ pockets. Had they tender marking and invigilating allowance. Had incentive compensation been accelerated to reasonable capacity. Had any decision that seems controversial in nature been taken after close consultation. That is the reason I still respect what Elizabeth Dole once said irrespective of her religious background if it is in line with accuracy. “What you do always before you make a decision is consult. The best public policy is made when you are listening to people who are going to be impacted. Then, once policy is determined, you call on them to help you sell it.” It is also said that “plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisors, succeed.” Furthermore, had the provost used his power as a positive force for positive purpose that would touch the lives of people especially the staff and students of AKCILS for the better. All these would have been by far better than sticking to what will ever-lastingly boomerang on the school image. I was overjoyed when one daylight hours as I was flipping through a news paper when my two eyeballs caught a glimpse on a heading A Provost with clear mission written by ABDULLAHI ABBA HASSAN published by Weekend Triumph on SATURDAY, MARCH 17 2007. Its excerpt reads as: “He (Dr. Mohd Nuruddeen Musa) believes that power is a positive force if it is used for positive purpose and is therefore poised to use his office to touch the lives of people especially the staff and students of Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies for the better. No doubt, if you are a good leader, possessed a very good quality of leadership and maintain it in right and better way, certainly, you will be respected, cherished and loved by all. This is exactly what has been with Dr. Musa.” Conclusively, I’m not in the position to judge whether the opposing or supporting side of the debate is the champion. Whatever is planned for Allah-sake will be undying. For otherwise, will - sooner or later - visit the land of our silent fathers. Therefore, the life-span of the proposal will tell the champion. Mine is to re-emphasize the incontrovertible principle of union that says “a kingdom at war with itself will collapse. A home divided against itself is doomed. When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.”
Hussaini Ahmad Maqari Faculty of Law, BUK
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