AFTER ELECTION: The Princess Loses Her Crown

Bismil Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barkaatuhu dear brothers and sisters. It is my prayer that you are in the best state of everything that Allah azza wa jal loves of His noble servants. I pray that Allah azza wa jal makes completely easy for you this life and may He azza wa jal gift you His love and the love of those who love Him. Aameen Yaa Wahhaab Yaa Waduud Yaa Allah.

I am here again, heheheeee. You know that popular saying, 'After election what what what?!' I keep thinking through to see whether it applies to every kind of election or it is only talking about some specific ones. Let's walkthrough together now to see.

Elections for Assembly Men and Women is almost here and so we see flyers of them everywhere. Do I know the Assembly Man of my area? Heheheeee! No, I don't. Why? Because it is not election time. Laugh small. Yes, the last time I saw him and the numerous other people who wanted to win my vote was during the past election. They had followed us to our houses then and if we had permitted it, they would have entered even our rooms. After the elections, they go their way because of course, they have had what they wanted. This year too, they are going to come back and the routine continues. Interesting huh!

This is the story of most elections - Presidential, Parliamentary, etc- for the whole country and for institutions.

Now, let us put politics aside. Are you single or married? Ok. Have you ever heard any of these before?

~ Your voice just blows my mind. It is so serene. Give me the opportunity to hear it everyday please.

~ I don't care how you look or what you have, I just love the fact that you are so Allah conscious.

~ I promise to take excellent care of you no matter what, forever.

~ I wish I had met you before my wife. You fit into my dreams perfectly.

~ The way you smile is just so beautiful.

~ I will walk to the moon and back for you.

~ You are my life, my love, my happiness. My all in all.

~ You are just what I have always been looking for.

~ A freshly laid egg is beautiful, warm in the palm and precious to the hen. That is how I will handle and pamper you.

~ Is there anything higher than my love for you? I wouldn't mind climbing beyond Kilimanjaro to reach you, even if I fall in the process.

I am sure you are laughing by now and recalling all the sweet words you've heard from men, either your husbands or those yet to marry you or those you aren't even considering. I coined these ones except the last two. A friend was told that and her head was reeling. Heheheeee!

Let me tell you a story. So, she got married. Then she was taken by surprise. This is definitely not the Sulley she said yes to and even went ahead to marry. I chose the name for him myself. I know the story but I don't know the names of the people involved.

Sulley used to bring her gifts ranging from sumptuous foods of all kinds to clothing to many others. Sulley was just so affectionate then. He gave her full attention then. They could talk for hours either on phone or in person. It was just too beautiful.

What happened to Sulley? Did someone hit his head? Did someone's evil eye blind him. Hassana could not believe how completely uncaring and difficult her beloved husband has suddenly become. He just didn't want anything to do with her - not even intimacy. The voice he used to yearn to hear has become a nuisance to him.

When she had succeeded in getting him to get her pregnant, he wouldn't foot a single hospital bill. Well, even before that, he gave her peanuts and then stopped giving totally. She is due to deliver now, she had to buy all her hospital items herself - her business almost collapsing because she doesn't even have the strength to keep it booming. Anytime she made an attempt to leave, people will talk her into rescinding her decision. Now, she is waiting to deliver her baby and run. Sad huh! But this is reality.

They say after election, cease all campaigns. Hahahahaaaa!

In one of Mufti Ismail Menk's lectures, he told a story. There was a gentle man who proposed marriage to a gentle lady. When the lady asked about his character, she was told how completely patient and gentle he was. She was glad. Before the marriage, his friends advised him to try to do something to put fear in his wife otherwise she will not respect him due to his calm soul. He took their advise and kept a black cat in his bedroom and on the wedding night they heard noise in the room. He looked for the cat and killed it mercilessly in a way that terrified his bride.

From then, he only spoke to her in a commanding tone and she was always running helter skelter to his bidding.

She could not handle it anymore so she decided to tell his family about it and they gave her an idea. One dawn, he commanded that he wanted his breakfast at exactly seven but she was unperturbed. She asked him jokingly about what he would do if she doesn't get it by seven. Then he said;

'Then, I will go to the kitchen and do it myself."

She has wasted her energy running around for days over nothing.

But then, the question still holds, 'Why will a man want his wife to fear him? Why? Why? Why?'

Among the many headaches of some married women I have had an encounter with is the fact that the love shown them before marriage was totally gone a few weeks, months or years into the marriage. Some even turned into hatred. One married woman told me,

'But dating is way sweeter than marriage...'

Then I thought of why on earth that should be so because I believe that at least for a Muslim, this should not be the case.

So many years ago, I was tasked to write a book on Muslim women in Ghana by one of my mothers and mentors, Hajia Samia. She told me to contact Dr Rabiatu Armah for supervision. I was fresh in level 100 in the University of Ghana then. A friend decided to partner with me. So, we called Dr Armah one evening and she laughed when she heard about our wanting to write on such a subject when we were so young and in level 100. She invited us to her office and we went. In the end, she was impressed with us - me especially because I was hijabed even though I was coming from a missionary High School. From then, she showed us who to interview and what to do.

Why am I telling you all these? Because the book was never finished not to talk of publishing it. Why? The two last women I interviewed ended it. They made me conclude that it was not right for me to write the story then. I will be doing great injustice to their stories. Even though I had a number of influential people pushing me, I still put it on hold. The stories of these two women, who happen to be sisters, are very relevant to my write up today.

The younger sister's story...

She had someone she wanted to marry but her family refused and rather gave her hand into marriage to someone who seemed more responsible to them. She was a health worker then. After her marriage to this man, life became a living hell for her. She had a still birth due to ill treatment. Later, she had two children. She was stopped from working as a health assistant and instead made to sell tea at the Rawlings Park at nights. Forty days after her second child was born, she and her children were sent packing.

With no parents to turn to, her elder sister took her in. Her elder sister, who had five children, became a mother to both she and her children.

Interestingly, about sixteen years later, the man whom her parents had refused to make her marry heard about the fact that she was single. He then married her without knowing that she  was now a successful woman who even owned a hospital. And of course, he was the regional chief Imam of his region.

The details of her story and how much she cried on the day she told me this - and I even cried more than her - made me put my pen down. I was not matured enough for that job.

The elder sister's story...

She was given the opportunity to be educated at a time when education of the girl child especially was not encouraged by her people. When she was considered matured enough to marry, she was given a husband. Being an educated woman who knew what she wanted, she wanted to refuse the arrangement. Her suitor was as old as her grandfather. Some of his children could give birth to her. But she thought of how it will look like if she refused. Her younger siblings will not be allowed to school again because they will think it is the education that made her disobedient. So, she unwillingly went ahead to marry him.

What was she expecting? A life of sorrow. But that is not what she had. Her husband was completely supportive in her progress. He pushed her to be the best she could be. He encouraged her to go to the University and further.

That is not to say that her whole life was rosy but the fact that her husband became the opposite of what she thought he was going to be was enough to give her some serenity.

So in her case, she actually gained a crown after the election and not before it. Keep smiling.

Allah subhaanahu wa ta aalaa tells us in the Qur'an, Surat Ar-Rum, Chapter 30 ayah 21 that:

"And of His Signs is that He has created mates for you from your own kind that you may find peace in them and He has set between you love and mercy. Surely there are Signs in this for those who reflect.

This is a beautiful ayah that is worth pondering upon. But then you hear a lot of 'scholars' 'people' say that a few months or years into marriage, love finishes and then it is left with mercy. Interesting huh! So, some women aren't even perturbed when their husbands start packing them aside and chasing after new ones. I always wonder, is it that we mistaken love for lust or what? May be you can educate me on this in the comment section.

If we were to follow the ideal...

Islam does not encourage too much familiarity before marriage so it is after marriage that intimacy and all other things are allowed. I always wonder how love should diminish with knowing and becoming intimate and closer to your spouse. If you want to be romantic, is that not the best time to be? Heheheeee. Now that the law allows you anything. And when children start coming, should the children not bind you even the more? Well, let me make this a topic for another day

Every human being needs love for a more serene and happy life. When we love one another, we achieve so much. Prophet Muhammad suallallaahu alayhi wa sallam taught us to love one another genuinely. We see how he softened the hearts of people who hated him by giving them love in diverse ways.

Lack of love, affection and attention for women after marriage leads a lot of them into doing the unthinkable - put having unnecessary close relationships with other guys aside. Some of them mess up real bad in their quest for love. The first thing of course for many of them is the regret of not having chosen the 'other suitors' whom they believe could have loved them better.

For example, the pregnant woman in a bitter marriage who is waiting to run after giving birth lives in serious regret of not choosing her other suitor. You remember her story, right? This woman rejected this other man because he was a heavy duty truck driver and so he traveled a lot. She thought he will not have time for her when he marries her so as much as he tried to win her over, she pushed him away and rather chose her seemingly loving husband then. Interestingly, the one she rejected is now married and even living abroad with his wife whiles she is being treated like garbage. Heheheeee! You can imagine her misery, right?

A woman who always keeps her hair unkempt, married woman, was asked by her neighbour, a man, of why she doesn't take good care of her hair. They are Muslims. She is married. How did he see her hair? Well, most of our local Muslimahs don't give a damn. She told him her husband doesn't give her money for that and he decided to volunteer to take on that job so every week, he gives her money for her hair. We can all imagine where Shaytaan will lead this to, right? True story.

There is this other woman too whose husband cheats on her like crazy. The two of them have become like a cat and a dog. No mawadda and no rahma. Just pure disdain. She decided to teach her husband a lesson so she came out to the compound of their house in 'strict' shorts and a tiny shirt. A compound house for that matter. Fortunately and unfortunately, almost everyone was not around except one male neighbour. He came out and told her how nice her shorts are. He asked the price of the shorts and paid her for them. What is next? You and I can imagine that perfectly. True story.

It is dangerous when even married women begin to behave in such a manner but usually their husbands are the cause - they leave them loveless, attentionless, they try to terrify them and then worse of all some even clearly let them know they don't want them. They start to chase other women making them feel lonely and some of them just simply lose their grip.

I could tell you a lot of stories of such nature but the long and short of it is that if you are single, you want to be careful not to marry your enemy. Even though who you marry will solely be based on the decree of Allah azza wa jal, try your best not to contribute to marrying a monster.

If you are a married woman who has all the love and attention of your husband, I pray that Allah, Al-Waduud, increase you in that. If you are however in a loveless marriage, all hope isn't lost. Try to find solutions to that but never ever compromise your chastity, values and morals as a Muslimah.

If you are a man reading this, you know what I want to tell you already, right? Keep smiling for sadaqa. Jazaakumullaahu khairan for reading. Share with me your thoughts in the comment section. May Allah azza wa jal increase us in beautiful love for one another for His sake solely and may He love us most. Aameen Yaa Waduud Yaa Allah. And yes! Don't forget me in your du'a. Smiles.


Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu-Morla
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HUURUL AYN: THE FIGHT IS ON. WHO BECOMES QUEEN

Bismil Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barkaatuhu dear brothers and sisters. I pray that you are in the most desired state of health, wealth and faith. If you are not, then it is my prayer that Allah azza wa jal grants you those and many more in complete ease. Aameen Yaa Wahhaab Yaa Allah. 

Last week I wrote an article titled, 'Today: I Saw Something that I Have Always Wanted to See.' Did you read it? If you haven't, then please do and let me know what you think. Smiles.

I am writing on, as the title suggests, something that both Muslim men and women are passionate about - Huurul Ayn. What makes men passionate about them?

Allah azza wa jal says in a number of places in the Qur'an that among the rewards that Muslim men stand to get in the Hereafter, provided they lived excellent lives, were 'Huurul Ayn'. This refers to some beautiful class of women in Jannah. Among their many descriptions are:

1. Large and wide beautiful eyes.

2. They are like pearls.

3. They are unblemished.

4. They are white.

5. They are young etc.

Now, these Muslim men are promised more than one of these women in Paradise and that is what their craze is about. Smiles. Of course, if I were a man, I will stick to the rules for the end benefit even if it were just these women alone was worth it. So, the next time you see the men quoting aayaat and ahaadith on this subject again and again, know that their excitement over the whole issue is valid - they are crazy about their Huurul Ayn. Heheheeee.

Now, why are the Muslim women crazy about these Huurul Ayn? Or wait! I put the question wrong. Rather, why are the Muslim women going crazy about Huurul Ayn? Smiles! Oh yes! Lots of our Muslim ladies are going crazy over this whole Huurul Ayn saga. Do they like them? No! Are they jealous of them? Yes! Personally, they are an aspect of Jannah that I don't think about. But of course, what business do I have with them? I am a woman any way. Or may be, ignoring them and pretending they don't exist is a coping strategy. Keep smiling.

Let me tell you a story. Once an Islamic scholar was preaching about the status of the good wife in Jannah. He was doing so to egg all ladies to strive to be good wives to their husbands. He mentioned that if a man is pleased with his wife and she dies while his wife, she will become the queen of his 'Huurul Ayn' in Jannah.

Mostly, this concept serves as a push for a lot of Muslim women to be good wives. They strive to be good wives in order to become Queens. Heheheeee. They cannot withstand some Jannah ladies who haven't had the bitter and sweet taste of marriage and who don't know their husbands from nowhere outwitting them at the 'Queenship' position. Keep smiling.

But let me continue the story, the above was an interlude. There was a woman who was listening to this man keenly and she thought about what he said deeply then she said;

'Indeed, the situation of we women is pathetic. Even in Jannah, they are going to give us rivals.'

Now! This is interesting huh. The motivating aspect of the scholar's talk didn't get to her. She rather thought beyond what most people will usually think and identified a problem or a threat or a disadvantage in the whole set up. Anyway, let's hold this here.

I actually planned telling you two stories but they have turned out to be three. The above was not one of them but it has now become the first. So, let me tell you the second story. Once I was walking with two Muslim ladies or no, let me tell you the third story instead. Don't worry, I will tell you this one later.

I was telling a friend, lady, about how I was going to write about the third story I will be telling you about and she said something that got me laughing and pondering at the same time. What did she say?

Her story...

She is married as a third wife. She is a good Muslim lady who wants to do her best at being a good wife to her husband. She is religious too. Mostly, she tries to keep her husband on his toes with Allah azza wa jal. One day he told her about the very first woman he married. That was ten years ago. Their marriage had lasted only a year because she died through the process of child delivery. The child is well and good. He told her how religious that wife was and how much she also tried to keep him doing things that Allah azza wa jal loves. He added that this new wife reminded him of his first wife a lot.

What do you think will be going through this lady's mind? Was she happy to hear about this wonderful woman whose husband speaks so highly of her a decade after she has left this life? Was she glad that her husband speaks so excellently of her who is a new bride? Well, this lady thought completely differently. She wondered about how their (husband, dead wife and her) situation is going to be like in Jannah where they all hope to be. She knew very well about what will make a wife qualify as the queen of her husband's Huurul Ayn. She wondered,

'So, all things being equal, between she and the dead wife, who will become Queen?'

I laughed when she said this. Seemed to me like a competition between the dead and the living. The facial expression with which she said it alone was something else. But all things aside, she had a genuine concern and I wish someone could answer her question. Is it that even with the Queenship, some are going to be Queens over Queens? May be we should ask our scholars. Do share with me your thoughts on this in shaa Allah.

Now, to my last story. I mentioned earlier that some Muslim women are going crazy about this Huurul Ayn something, right? Now look at this.

I was walking with two Muslim ladies. We spoke about a lot of things mostly concerning women and more especially, Muslim women. We spoke about marriage, worship and Jannah. Then we began day dreaming about how chilling Jannah is going to be in shaa Allah. Then each one of us began listing the things she will request from Allah azza wa jal. Then the topic of Huurul Ayn came up. 

One of the ladies said that left to her, she doesn't even want to be married in Jannah. She just wants to have fun and go here and there and do this and that. Then the most interesting thing came up. As we went on and on about Huurul Ayn, this lady asked:

'But if Allah said we will get all that we wish for, can't we get our own set of Huurul Ayn?'

Now, don't laugh. She was serious about it. She wondered about so many things and thought that if she could have her own Huurul Ayn, then may be there will be no need for her to worry about her many rivals nor who becomes Queen.

Don't just condemn or hail. Let us think together and let me in on what you think. Welcome to the world of women, Muslim women. Remember to strive hard towards building your relationship with Allah azza wa jal and becoming an extremely beautiful soul. May Allah subhaanahu wa ta aalaa continue to ease all your affairs and raise your rank both in this Dunya and the Akhira. May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah azza wa jal be upon the noblest of humans, Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and his companions. And oh! Do remember me in your dua always. Jazaakumullaahu khairan.

Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu-Morla

+233 555392722 (WhatsApp)

www.mmahajia.blogspot.com

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TODAY: I Saw What I Have Always Wanted To See

Bismil Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barkaatuhu my dear brothers and sisters. I pray you are all wallowing in seas of blessings upon blessings. For those going through one struggle or the other, may Allah azza wa jal completely make easy and bearable all your struggles.

I felt wonderful today as I walked passed a certain place. I will tell you about that place in a bit but before that let me tell you a story. Is it even a story? Smiles.

I had my Junior High School education at a Seventh Day Adventist School, McNeilus SDA. From Junior High School One to Three, we never wore ear rings and any kind of jewellery. That is not where my interest is though. On every Friday, we closed very early just like most Islamic schools do.  They close school early so that they could prepare to observe their Sabbath the next day.

We had a very big church in the school where they worship on Saturdays. One key thing you see on Fridays after we close is the church members trooping into the school, most of them men. Some come in their cars and others on foot. They pack their cars at the parking lot and then, what do they do? They clean the whole school and then the church. 

It was very common to see men sweeping the compound, collecting trash and doing all other kinds of cleaning in the school on these days. My father had rented one of his shops to an SDA man and this man, who was a family man and rich, was one of the people you will most often see cleaning up the school and the church to prepare it for their worship the next day.

It was surprising also that most of the people you will see cleaning on these days were men. The females were a handful. Note that I said men and not boys.

Now, that is the end of the story. Smiles. What at all am I driving at? Well, let me tell you another story. 

I live next to a huge Masjid, it is just a not so nice big drain that separates the Masjid and I. Smiles. Well, the Minister for Zongo and Inner City Development promised to fix it. Let's hope he does. Back to what I was saying. This big beautiful Masjid gets cleaned on Fridays too, but early in the morning instead because of Jummua. Who cleans the Masjid? Volunteers. Which volunteers? Women. Yes, it is the women who live in the vicinity of the Masjid who clean it up.

That is very admirable of them and may Allah azza wa jal accept from them their kind gesture to His House. Honestly, I wish I could be joining them do the cleaning but... There is always a but.

That is the end of this story also. Now, don't start contrasting the cleaning of the church with the cleaning of the Masjid just yet. Let me tell you the part two of story number two. 

Once in a while, these women cleaners of the Masjid seem to be nowhere to be found on these Fridays when their services were greatly needed. When such incidences happen, some of the leaders of the Masjid resort to the microphone to call unto the women in the vicinity to come and do the cleaning due to the enormous reward there is to be attained with such an act. They quote aayaat and ahaadith to boost the women to leave off all that they are attending to in their homes to come to clean the Masjid and they always succeed.

These happenings always send me to my world of many thoughts on what should have been and what shouldn't have been. I had just recently come to a conclusion on my thoughts on such matters when I saw an interesting scene as I walked passed the Masjid this morning. Now, you know the place, right? It was the Masjid. 

You can easily guess why I was so interested in the scene I saw. Let me give you a view of it. The Masjid was cleaned and chairs neatly arranged in style. There was a lot of cleaning and organising going on. The beautiful part of the whole thing is that it was men who were doing all of these things. Men! Both young and elderly. I was impressed for sure. The sad thing however is that it was not a Friday and there was not going to be Jummua. It was someone's funeral ceremony.

The question is; 

'If these men could clean and organise this nicely for a funeral, why can't they do same on Fridays too?'

Yes, on Friday mornings as women busily cleaned the Masjid from after Fajr till morning, most of the men in the vicinity either went back to sleep or sat around chatting their time away. But these women mostly have a pile of other works at home they could have been taking care of with that time. 

Back to the church, we all know how these men do not see it as a big deal doing part of the chores at home together with their wives and then they are still able to make time to go and clean up their place of worship. Most of our men on the other hand will leave all household chores to their wives and then even on Friday when they could have at least cleaned their House of worship, they still hold the mentality that it is the work of the women folk.

One day, I was in the office at school when two Junior High School two learners came to invite me to something they were going to do in their class. They said it was going to be in thirty minutes time. I probed them severally for them to tell me what it was but they didn't. So I told them to come get me when they were about to start. They did. Guess what they were going to do? Debate! And the topic? 

'Should boys also do house chores?'

Interesting huh! It seemed, from the way the opponents were almost getting at each other's throat, that they've been arguing about this particular issue for so long. It was an enjoyable event and in the end I concluded that:

'Our girls believe we have been unfair to them in the way we bring our boys up as kings and they, their maids.'

Now, just think deeply about the scenarios above and if you are a man, take a decision for yourself as to whether your help is a necessity or not. If you are a woman, someday, by the permission of Allah azza wa jal, your son is going to be someone's husband and his mentality towards men's involvement in house chores will be shaped by mostly how you and your husband bring him up. It is better to let him know that doing house chores does not and will never make him less of a man. It will rather make him more beloved to his wife and children in future because perhaps most women might not say it but house chores drain them to bits.

Well, let us ponder together. I am completely grateful to you for making time to read it all. May Allah subhaanahu wa ta aalaa continue to put abundant baraka in your life and in all your endeavours. Don't forget me in your dua. Smiles. May the peace, blessings and mercy of Allah azza wa jal be upon the coolness of our eyes, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad and upon his household and his companions. Thank you and jazaakumullaahu khairan.

Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu-Morla

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AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ASOKORE MAMPONG MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY

TO WHOMEVER IT MAY CONCERN

Dear Sir or Madam,

It is my prayer that you and your staff are doing excellent in all your endeavours. May God bless you for your massive contribution to the development of our dear nation. Do pardon me if I have skipped any protocol. Let me go straight to the point.

The reason for writing to you this letter is simple; the state of some and or all of your washrooms. It is not pleasant to say but they are in such pathetic states. Someone I know and respect a lot paid a visit to your Assembly and the scene that met his eyes when he decided to use the washroom was a no no no. 

It is definitely someone's duty to clean the place and that janitor must also have a supervisor who probably also reports to someone else about the state of the washrooms and or other facilities in the Assembly. I hope that is right? If yes, then a lot of people are being paid for work they don't do and that is an injustice of a kind. You may want to deal with that matter in the most beautiful of ways as soon as possible. If no, then the Assembly needs to realign its priorities. As much as we need clean offices to work in, we need even cleaner washrooms. A janitor or janitors should be in the top part of our scale of preference as an organization, as an Assembly. We must simply have them, especially where we don't want to do the work ourselves.

Now, for a washroom to get to this state, we cannot blame only the janitor and the poor supervision of his work. We are fully right to blame the workers who use the place everyday as well. Take a careful look at this picture of the washroom that is tagged here. You may not want to look at it again after the first mistaken or curious glance. And that is because it could cause you to vomit or nauseate. That is how bad it is Sir or Madam. How do you then use the place so comfortably yourself to the point of directing a visitor to the place? It beats my mind.

Now, what has stained the closet so badly? I don't want to think about options. Plus, is it that the workers don't flush out the waste after taking care of themselves? Grown ups? And what measures have been taken to put an end to that bad habit? What really could be causing this problem? You must definitely have an idea. It is and will forever be true that being clean is not only about the cleaning resources at our disposal but it is also about our attitude towards cleanliness. You may have all the soaps, detergents, mop sticks, scrubbing brushes and more but if you have a negative attitude to cleanliness, we will still have a situation such as portrayed in the picture. We must also note that it is never a waste of resources to budget appropriately for cleaning items to ensure a clean and nice smelling work environment at all times.

If your workers understand that when one emits faecal matter or urine into the closet, it must be flushed out; we may not have gotten to this. If they understood that when one mistakenly pours water on the floor of the washroom, it must be mopped; we may not have gotten to this. If they understood that when one dirties the washroom with his feet or anything, he must clean it up; we may not have gotten to this. We will not get to a point where our washrooms are in such messy states if we understood these simple rules of cleanliness whether we have a janitor or not. 

Or wait! Is it that we are 'too big' to do any kind of cleaning no matter how meagre it is even if we caused them? That is not a very encouraging and praiseworthy attitude to have as people, educated people. I ever worked in an organisation where the accountant who comes to work a lot earlier than others sometimes does the cleaning himself. Yes! There were people to do that but if he was at work and they weren't in yet, he does the cleaning of the washrooms and the offices himself. Now, that is the positive attitude to cleanliness we are talking about. 

If we would not reduce the janitor's work by cleaning up some of our mess, at least we should call them after we have messed up to clean it up so that no one comes to meet such an unsightly situation - so that our washrooms do not become this messy over a short period of time. At least, all things being equal, you don't want even the janitor to come and flush your excreta for you. That is so so so bad, unhealthy and uncharacteristic of being educated people who are considered to know better when it comes to such things.

And wait! Is it that we put other things in the closet instead of excreta? Well, let me hold that bit here. I just want you to really take note that this is for a good cause. Let us see a change in our attitude to cleanliness. This letter is not only to you at the Assembly but to every person who will read this; we don't want this in our work places and we definitely don't want it in our homes.

Thank you for your time. Do pardon anything I have said that may not have gone down well with you. It is truly for a good cause.

Your Concerned Citizen

Signed

Rubaba Mmahajia Rahma Sabtiu-Morla