The divine call to visit the Kaaba al-muazzama is in fuilfilment of the fifth pillar of Islam. A Muslim is expected to fulfil the call once in a lifetime especially when the means and wherewithal are available, saying the slogan:”labayka Lahuma labayk,” which means “I am here O’ Allah to obey your call.”

Perhaps no other issue has influenced people’s imagination more so than the status of women in Islam. In the middle ages, when Europeans were engaged in warfare with Muslims in Palestine, the focus was on painting a picture of Muslims as minions of the devil.

We thank almighty Allah for sparing our lives to witness the great acts of worship in Islam such as Hajj, Umrah, Day of Arafah (for those on Hajj 2013), Edul-Adha, Al-Udhiyyah, Ayyamut Tashriq, etc. It is very important to understand the fact that the aforementioned acts of Ibadah and many others emanated from Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) and his family.

THe Police in Anambra State, seem to be on the war path with criminals ranging from armed robbers, assasins, kidnappers and even fraudsters who have succeeded in creating black spots and hideouts where they carry out their nefarious activites daily. These dangerous spots dot every nook and cranny of the state.

The clash between policemen attached to Area ‘E’ police Command, Festac Town, Lagos and some officials of Amuwo- Odofin Local Government led by its Chairman, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, last Sunday, nearly turned bloody but for the timely intervention of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dan Okoro, who saved the day.

Adesegun Ajibola (SAN) is a son of retired Judge of the International Court of Justice, at the Hague and former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN). He is the Principal Partner, Bola Ajibola & Co and member of Board of Trustees of the Islamic Movement for Africa (IMA). In this interview, Ajibola spoke on the National Conference Advisory committee among other issues.

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, recently held its International Relations Forum in Accra, Ghana. The theme was, Trade Unionism in Nigeria and Global Social Protection, and the venue was Kwame Nkrumah African Labour College, Accra. Labour Vanguard shares with you, the thoughts of the Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity, OATUU, Comrade Owei Lakemfa and the TUC President, as contained in their addresses to participants.

IN order to shine the spotlight on the transformative power of girl-child education across Africa and the world, the ground-breaking feature, ‘Girl Rising’ was screened for the first time in Nigeria at the Silverbird Cinema, Victoria Island, Lagos recently.

Even though they unaffected by the protracted strike embarked by public university lecturers, students of the University of Ilorin have appealed to both the Federal Government and the striking lecturers to consider the plights of students, and reach a truce that will end the three months strike.

Prof Ukachukwu Aloysius Awuzie is the immediate past President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the current Ag Vice Chancellor, Imo State University. In this interview with Vanguard Learning, he bares his mind on the major issues bedeviling the education sector 53 years after independence; the on-going ASUU strike, pertinent issues government and other stakeholders must resolve to regain the lost glory of the nation’s education sector, among others. Excerpt: