Muse and Musings of a Young Journalist!

Staging comeback

2011-12-09T22:20:00.000-08:00

Hello, after such a long time of silence and inadverted break, yours sincerely is hoping to to re-launch this blog. Watch, therefore, for my muse as it flows untamed like Thame.

Letter To President Jonathan

2010-11-29T07:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr Goodluck,
Before delving into the letter, permit me to explain something unusual here. If you notice the salutation in the opening of this letter, I address you as ‘dear’ and even call you by your first name. I am not unmindful of my letter writing lessons. My teachers had taught me that in addressing somebody in official capacity, one should not use words of familiarity like ‘my dear’ in the salutation. Again, addressing you by your first name is none of the teachers’ failure, they have taught me to write to any officeholder, even my school principal, using his surname.

However, methinks addressing one with his parent’s name is one of the uncharitable cultures bequeathed to us by the colonialists – in traditional African societies, parents and everything that has to do with them are sacred. One does not feel at ease in company of parents or their friends, or even age mate. One is not expected to be mouthing his parents’ names in marketplaces or even where necessary like hospitals and schools that is why some resorted to using their village’s names as their surnames and for social purposes, the parents get sobriquet from the kids to cover up for the real names.

This, Mr President, is what informed my decision to address you as Goodluck. Yet, aren’t most Nigerians prefer to call you Goodluck? O, yes they do perhaps owing to the good omen with the name and of course, being anesthetic nihilists, in the Nietzscheian model, most Nigerians believe in the power of luck, rather than hard work. Therefore, I choose to address you with your first name and as a ‘dear’, indeed one’s leader should be dear to him – at least one has no choice but to take it to be.

Mr President, even now that I press my fingers on the keyboard to type this letter, I have no slightest hope that it would get to you. I am an optimist, but not a senseless one. I weigh optimistic possibilities with reality. I don’t know how a common letter like this can reach you. I don’t see my voice crossing all the fences and barricades of your villa, to reach your office. Even if it did, what hope do I have that you will read it? You may read the subject and name of the sender and drop it.

Mr President, as I was saying, I have no iota of hope that if I have packaged this letter it will reach you, hence my decision to make it open, in spite of its sacred contents. Yes, sacred! Because it contains views and opinions directly from my heart, unadulterated; meant only for your ears. How I wish no one will read these musings of a youthful mind but you. The pleas, the rage, the questions, are all made for you alone; no one else. However, since I have no alternative, I have to make it open.

Let me say this Mr President, I envy you. I envy your uncommon accomplishments achieved within a very short time. Just within a decade, God has elevated you from near-obscurity to the ultimate height of fame in the country. You have every reason to thank your God. There are multiple people out there struggling to attain a slight position but they are yet to get God’s nod. Yet, several others are still scampering to keep body and soul together – you passed all those stages. Indeed remember your friends; former colleagues that you left in the teaching profession on your nomination as deputy governor of your state. I don’t know if you still keep in contact with them but as you may be aware, for them, it is the same old life – nothing much has changed.

Permit me to repeat the oft-stated fact that you rose from deputy governor, to vice president, acting president and culminated as president without winning any election yourself. Some of your critics want us to interpret this fact to mean that you are unelectable personality who rose to the pinnacle through divine luck, not dint of worship. In your early days in the presidency as vice president and later acting president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I had an impressive impression of you. I took you as a fine gentleman – one who talks when necessary, meek and one who is calm, allowing things to go as they should without been desperate.

However, immediately the health condition of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua took the turn for the worse, your otherwise polished behaviour, which I admired, nosedived with it. I watched with amazement how a sort of Mr Hyde took over you as you desperately aimed for the number one seat.

That overt polished character of yours immediately gave way for a rather grotesque one. I still remember the agitation, the desperation and the cunning with which you struggled to get yourself confirmed as the acting president. The controversial deal with governors and senators is still fresh in our minds. All that, as they say, is history. The expectation, at least from a faint optimist like me, is that you would put everything behind you and work for the progress of the country. I thought you would cover up the snail’s pace progress recorded during the presidency of your boss, Umaru Yar’Adua. Alas, you have spent all these months in office form groping in the dark to aimless pursuit of the presidency again.

For me, your ascension to the exalted position of the presidency is a lifetime opportunity to stamp yourself and write your name in gold in the history books. However, you proved to be extravagant extraordinaire who squandered goodwill and public confidence reposed on him. The opportunity you have gotten, Mr President, on the death of President Yar’Adua was to exhibit exemplary leadership trait, execute some projects (you can do without them!) and then organise a free and fair election to handover to anybody from whatever part of the country. How, regrettably, you plundered that chance with your blind quest for power. Close your eyes to masticate the bitter words. As I wrote in the first part of this letter, these are words of fury straight from mind. No insult meant, I just intend to let you know what I think about you.

You are the first holder of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree to lead this country. However, some said you studied a doctorate without philosophy. However hard I attempt to dissuade my mind from believing those busybodies, you betray my psyche by falling short of my expectation of anybody with a PhD. Some points to your illogical comments, uncalculated utterances and rather unpresidential postures to buttress this point.

The fury of yesterday fans the violence of today. Your unguarded comments on the October 1 bombings have thickened opposition against you. Many Nigerians, equally, have lost confidence in your readiness to preside over a free election, going by your personal ambition which you avidly pursue. The curtain is not yet drawn, you still have the time to reconsider your stand.

Love, Politics and Scheming

2010-03-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

This review was published in the last Friday (12/3/2010) edition of LEADERSHIP Newspapers. As with any other thing on this blog, PLEASE DO NOT QUOTE (for use elsewhere) WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. Thanks

Book: Tenants of the House
Author: Wale Okediran
Publisher: Nelson Publishers5
Year of Publication: 2009
Pages: 306
Price: Not stated
Reviewer: Abdulaziz Abdulaziz

Nigerian literature, nay African, has had a long tradition of political satirisation perhaps owing to experiences of dictatorship, nepotism and such other vices inherent in the leadership of various African countries. This explains the theory of writing as social responsibility. Thus, from anti-colonial struggle to the vicious neo-colonialism we have had writers that pursued this course with uncommon virtuosity. A roll call of these writers include almost all the first generation South African Writers (the Dennis Brutus), Leopard Sedar Senghor, Okot ‘P bitek, Kenneth Kaunda, Kofi Awonor, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Chinua Achebe, Niyi Osundare and the likes. It is within this context that one situates Wale Okediran’s Tenants of the House.

In Tenants of the House, Wale Okediran presented a vivid picture, a critique, even if not an expose of contemporary Nigerian politics. Though the setting of the 306-page novel is the Nigeria’s lower chamber of the National Assembly; the House of Representatives, it dramatises the polity with courage and artistic bravura. Indeed, the first person narration endears reader to the book and gives chance for details; fortunately, both the writer and the narrator were members of the House (insiders) hence the excellent account. Tenants of the House is not all about politics as it embedded equally powerful themes, notable among which is the love theme.

Through the events around the principal character, Honourable Samuel Bakura representing Kaduna State in the parliament, the book unfolds to reveal the dirty linens of the Nigerian politics from party politics to the ‘symbiotic’ relationship between the legislature and the presidency. Samuel Bakura was a greenhorn politician but he would soon to learn the power tricks and intrigues.

The story begins at the House of Representatives with a newcomer, Hon Bakura making a first discovery that shattered him. For Bakura smuggling a gun into the hallowed chambers of the House by a lady member was something beyond comprehension. However, to his surprise, Elizabeth Bello (Lizzy), the owner of the gun expresses no remorse as she explains the importance of a gun to a politician because according to Lizzy, “To kill is a crime: to kill at the right time is politics.” (p.3).

Samuel finds himself in a world of contrasts. He was caught in a web of intricacies. He falls in love with Lizzy but their irreconcilable ideologies were to constitute hitch to the relationship. Moreover, a near-saint Sam – who claimed to be a “clean man” (P.4) – is an oddity among drinkers and promiscuous cartel that were his colleagues. However, through Lizzy, Sam became an arrowhead in the parliament and a livewire in subsequent moves in the House.

Three main episodes were used to depict the political theatrics at the House. The first scenario was an attempt to impeach the Speaker of the House, Hon Yaya Suleiman engineered and sponsored by President Ambrose Oneya. The President, acting through his front in the person of Senator Kayode Smollet known as PLO (President Liaison Officer), and other members such as Honourable Wenike and Kasali. The House splitted into two with members in the Speaker’s camp fighting to save their man’s head while the anti-speaker group fought to oust him. In the word of a Member, it was “naira for naira, dollar for dollar.” Though the speaker was under persecution as the result of heinous attempt to impeach him, he too has his dirty linens as seen in his attempt to equally bribe members to his side by soliciting for money from “the banks and corporate organisations that normally did business with the House” (p.48).

At the long run, the move to impeach the Speaker hit the rock due to a sustained campaign by the speaker’s group. Samuel who starts off in the Anti-Speaker camp ends up as an active member in the pro-speaker group after he was visited by the Speaker with a wad of dollars and intimidating information gadget. This confirms Lizzy’s statement that “there are no permanent friends in politics, only permanent interests” (p.10). President was defeated hands down and therefore had to broker peace with the speaker. The amicable relationship that ensued between the two was similarly pre-planned as the President wanted to take hold of the opportunity in order to pull the string in the affairs of the House.

This manifested when President Oneya tabled his demand for constitution review for the purpose of extending his stay before the speaker. How correct was Lizzy, the tenure elongation fiasco witnessed a regrouping of members as former foes became friends. Members like Elizabeth Bello (Lizzy) and Muktar Yinusa who sided with the Presidency to battle the speaker now turned out to oppose the President’s ambition to elongate his tenure. Similarly others who were fighting the Presidency notably the Speaker and the Deputy speaker were now supporting the tenure elongation bill. This goes to show how inconsistent politicians can be. The tenure elongation debacle almost tore the house apart as money kept exchanging hands. Members who were opposed to the bill led by Hon. Abdul Kalkulus “a radical and articulate Honourable Member from Katsina.” (161)

The third episode along this line with which the book closes is what can be called a revenge mission on the President as some forces from the outside insisted that the National Assembly should impeach the President. The pressure for the impeachment of the President was mounted by the leadership of the Northern Nigerian Group who wanted to tackle a fear that President Oneya was going to deal with Northerners who mainly constituted a threat to his aborted ambition to elongate his term. (p.268)

The intrigues in the National Assembly too, were punctuated with sub-themes about politics itself and lawmaking. We have seen how a “responsible” member strives to come up with a qualitative bill that would add value to the lives of his people and bring solution to the lingering problem of farmer/Fulani clashes innate in many parts of Nigeria. On another hand, we are presented with a politician gripping with “the dirty game” whose rule is “money, not merit” (p.4).

However, as noted earlier, apart from this powerful political message, there are other subtle thematic preoccupations entrenched in Tenants of the House. A readily remembered theme in this moving story is that of love. Aside the politicking and lawmaking, Sam is also engrossed in the intimate relationships. There are basically three of such episodes also. The first is the platonic love Sam has for Lizzy, who he always hopes to have not necessarily but to at least display his ‘Adamness’ to her.

There is also Sam’s parental love for his son, Mark for whom he leaves the heated polity amidst scheming and uncertainty in the House to travel to faraway United Kingdom to cheer up the ailing Mark.

The mother of all in the line of romance in the novel, and even competing with the political message is the epic affection between Samuel and a quasi-heroine of the story, the Fulani girl named Batejo. The Batejo portion is particularly interesting that it deserves an exploration on its own. Okediran has taken fiction to the next level by showing how a parliamentarian (a Nigerian for that matter) would forgets about all his privileges and fall for a Fulani bush girl. Though the ending of the relationship was not sparking (reads; expected) it indeed added substance to the book as an aside and rather comic relief from the intrigues and deceit of political game. After renouncing his Christian faith for Islam and getting a beat of his life from his rivals, it was only pathetic (some would say injustice by the writer!) that Samuel lost his heartthrob to a ‘miserable’ Fulani herdsman.

Tenants of the House has many strong points one of which is the obviously manifested meticulous research conducted by the author. There are many instnacs to prove this point. One of these is the Fulani culture he deeply explored as if he is a Fulani himself. The trip to Canterbury and Kampala by Sam also showcase research/experience of the writer at work. There is also an appreciative power of description that availed the writer a chance to visualise events and places vividly as they are depicted.

This paragraph suffices as an example: “The National Assembly is divided into two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate is on the left wing; the House of Representatives on the right and has been nicknamed “White House” after the colour of its paint. The building has three floors housing the legislative chambers and office (sic). In the basement are banks, the clinic and offices for support staff.” (p. 13)

Particularly interesting is the use of Hausa language in the book. This is remarkable feature of this remarkable book that really added credit and flavour to it. One wonders if Abubakar Gimba or Zaynab Alkali can succeed to do such experiment with Yoruba or Ibo language. The expertise in the use of the Hausa is so expertly that there are only few mistakes (mostly spellings) that can even go under the nose of a native speaker. These should however be taken cared of in case of new edition: “Kare ne shi sanye da fatar rago…he is a fox in sheep’s skin.” (p 133), the apt Hausa proverb here should have been akuya da kan kura not this transmutation from English. Spelling errors in Hausa include; brutali (148), (burtali, correct), Seriki Fulani (150) (sarkin Fulani, correct), koise (165), (kosai, correct) nunu (206), (nono, correct), galabiya (218), (jallabiyya, correct).

Tenants of the House is a near perfection and for that the publisher and the author must be commended. By the recent trend of poor standard of publishing (both content and finishing), Tenants of the House is actually not a mediocre. One main observation I have is on the way Samuel Bakura who is said to be from Kaduna State and has had experience with the Fulanis (when the invaded his father’s farm) will be that nonplussed at the sight of Fulanis at Batejo’s village, Nabardo thus; “Young men – to my intense surprise – wore braided hair, lipstick, earrings and arm bangles.” (p.145). I think metamorphosis of somebody from Ogun into a Kaduna man accounted for this!

Another thing is a little confusing in naming a character on page 223 where contemplation was developed in naming a member of the House of Representatives. Is he Honourable Aminu or Ahmed?

There are minimal typographical and grammatical errors unlike most books we read these days. Some of these that I figured include “In short, they were leaving on a borrowed land for a borrowed period of time.” (p142-143), I wonder if we borrow period, that is apart from the land. On page 269, the Speaker was said to have picked a collection of poem from his shelf and “selected another poem” since no immediate mention of him reading was made at that episode, the word “another” should be substituted with “a”. On page 282, there is a typographical error in this sentence: “My advice therefore is to for us to abort the whole process of impeachment even before it takes off.” The “to” between “is” and “for” shouldn’t have been there.

On a final note, Tenants of the House, no doubt, is a fresh and valuable to the Nigerian literature. Wale Okediran has further stamped his place in the Nigerian literary scene with this interesting and moving political satire. His commendable use of satire, flashback, humour, allusion among other devices has empowered this otherwise “normal” story. But the question begging for answer is; will Tenants of the House change the ‘business-as-usual’ in our parliaments?

How This Man Brought Honour To Nigeria

2010-01-17T12:42:00.001-08:00

LEADERSHIP’s ABDULAZIZ ABDULAZIZ encountered a man who portrayed a good image of Nigeria during the last Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia by his singular act of returning lost money to the owner. Though not compensated in monetary value he says he is happy and contented.

Amidst chaos and want of hope, there could always be a ray of the light. This could aptly capture the story of Alhaji Idris Ginsau Ibrahim who amidst the rampant cases of dishonesty, fraud and lure of lucre, found himself in a position to be richer by some wards of Rupee but he chose to return them to the rightful owner. The action of this exceptional gentleman from Jigawa State has generated applause for the country before relevant international bodies.

Alhaji Ibrahim, 53, was a Jigawa State pilgrim for the 2009 Hajj. He is director, publication and information at the state House of Assembly. The man exhibited rare type of behaviour when he found and returned back hundreds thousands rupees approximated to 50, 000 Saudi Riyads which in turn equals to over two million and two hundred thousand Naira.

How it happened

Narrating how it happened to LEADERSHIP, Alhaji Ibrahim who appeared sober, calm and contented said it was shock and disbelief for him when he suddenly discovered something heavy swinging in his side pocket after concluding circumvention of the Muslim sacred side of Ka’aba in the Holy Mosque of Mecca. Ibrahim quickly dipped his hand in the pocket to find out what the burden was. To his chagrin, it was wards of currency notes of a foreign country.

“I brought out the money and noticed that it was rupees of high denomination. I quickly put it back because if anybody saw that money or the owner saw it, they will assume that I stole it. So I quickly put it back and face the direction of the ka’aba to pray for Allah to see me through the trial. I said; O Allah it is you that brings this money into my pocket and you know better than I do. May Allah, by your wish, by your guidance, guide me on this issue.” Ibrahim explained.

Far from praying not to be noticed by anybody so that he will go away with the money, this exemplary Nigerian said “My prayer was that; O Allah with your kind assistance let me see the owner of this money so that I can give it back to him in good time.” This was because, according to him, “This can equally happen to me. If it happens to me how would I feel? I am sure it would be a very terrible experience so that is why I insisted that I must make sure that this money has gone back to the owner.”

Driven by piety and the need to protect the image of the country as well as his own image, Ibrahim immediately went to see hajj officials from his state of Jigawa to intimate them of the development. “I quickly went to see the secretary of Jigawa State hajj commission who assigned some of his staff to me with whom I wrote a letter and took it to the national hajj commission together with the money.” He recalled.
Officials at the National Hajj commission, Ibrahim said, collected the money and took down the details including the specification number on each note. And because of some documents that were with the money, it was discovered that is should be from somebody from Pakistan hence the hajj official got in touch with Pakistani official and hand them the money back.

A Hero
Nigerians resident in Saudi Arabia were also swift in identifying with this man of integrity. The Nigerian community there organised a special prayer session for him where they also presented him sundry Saudi items from clothing to prayer mats and beads.

The National Hajj Commission, after handing the rupees to Pakistani official, organised a press briefing in conjunction with the Jigawa State Pilgrims Board in Mecca where they hailed the action of Alhaji Ibrahim for being a worthy ambassador of Nigeria abroad.

A day after, a group called the Eagle Eye Hajj Monitors sought for Ibrahim again. “They prayed for me and presented me with a certificate of excellence, we snapped pictures and departed.” He said.

Asked what he feels now that he took the money back, Ibrahim said “I feel happy and contented for doing the right thing.” He said though he did not receive any worldly compensation for what he did, the commendation from people and later his state, were in a way compensating. “People from everywhere would come to me to salute what I did and pray for me. I am happy for that.” Said Ibrahim.

On what motivated him to take that stand especially in the face of needs and greed that defines life these days, Ibrahim said apart from religious teachings, he also heeds to the call for honesty and righteousness made by leaders. “Our leader in Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido is always calling on us to be honest and straight forward and I should say that it has made impact on me.”

Gladden by exemplary behaviour exhibited by Ibrahim, Governor Sule Lamido during his 2010 budget presentation speech before the state assembly, where he normally make important announcement concerning the administration of the state, announced Alhaji Idris Ginsau Ibrahim as the “Moral Face of Jigawa State.” This was in furtherance of the governor’s determination to encourage key values in the common man as seen in nominating a driver for the national honours in 2007 for the driver’s commitment to duty.

However, while Ibrahim has admitted his contentment by returning the money to the original honour and the praises he got in return, praises, some would argue, is not enough to compensate this act of bravery and honesty which, unarguably, would give a boost to the image of the country worldwide.

Kano Govt Should Produce Killer Of Sheikh Ja’afar – Ado Mohammed

2009-09-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

For the first time since his arrest, and subsequent release, for an alleged complicity in the murder of Kano based cleric, Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmoud Adam, Alhaji Ado Mohammed, the executive vice chairman of the Kano-based independent radio station, Freedom Radio opens up on his ordeals. He tells LEADERSHIP correspondent, ABDULAZIZ A. ABDULAZIZ his own side of the story as he responds to questions on criticism of the programmes of his radio station and his hitherto cordial relationship with Governor Ibrahim Shekarau.

Can you tell us what prompted the idea of establishing Freedom Radio?

A friend of mine who was, and still is, working with the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission drew my attention to the fact that private licensing were being granted, but even before then, I have been buying second hand equipments and I have been working with Engr. Dahiru Ibrahim, as my adviser, in my aspiration to establish a television station. Then came this employee of NBC who guided me on how to apply for the private broadcasting license.

We applied for the radio broadcasting license and six months later we applied for a television broadcasting license and it took us six and a half years pursuing it before we were granted the radio broadcasting license. This was how we came to be the first indigenous private broadcasting organisation up in the northern states.

Of course, even before we establish, Ray Power had been here but this (Freedom) is the first radio station by somebody from the north of the river Niger other than probably the Elwa, belonging to the Christian Association of Nigeria broadcasting from somewhere.

What of the TV license which you also applied for?

We are still pursuing the TV license. Any day the NBC give us, we will accept it. It is like extending our coverage to Abuja, we are still pursuing the license to go to Abuja being the national capital, and we have seen so many other stations especially those operating from the south. From the north we are not many so little wonder if none of the others have been trying but we have been pursuing this Abuja license for almost four years now but is still not with us but we hope we will get it soon so we will extend our presence to Abuja.

To what extent did you record success for the past five years that you have been in existence?

O, Alhamdulillah, with all sense of humility, being the first we made it such that we would be able to hit as many locations as possible. We bought a 10 kilowatts transmitter and a 400 foot mass that could cover about 200 kilometers in leno site. This made it possible to reach up to Damagaram and Maradi in Niger republic as well as Katsina. I traveled to Sokoto and monitored it up to Talatar Mafara, in fact, through Niger I was monitoring from Maradi until we got near Konni which is like overhead Sokoto, we were monitoring it in a car which is different from the normal small radio set people use.

Also, we were reaching somewhere around Potiskum, Yobe State. Our signals reach up to Hadejia in Jigawa State but because Hadejia is in a depression, about 130 below the altitude of Kano, the signals reach Hadejia but because they are FMsignals that do not bend, you may not get it until you use an aerial.

We reached Zaria in fact up to now during the rainy season or harmattan when the signals travel very far we are monitored in Kaduna. and there was time, I was monitoring I heard some people participating in a phone-in programme from Minna in Niger State and another person, though not audibly clear, calling in from Abuja.

Beside that we broadcast in about eleven languages; English, French, Arabic being the foreign languages. The rest are local Nigerian languages; Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Kanuri, Fulfulde, Ebra, Igala, etcetera.

We have touched the lives of so many people. We were projected to start with about 40 people when we were on the drawing board, now we have over 260 employees.

About 60 per cent of our airtime is dedicated to Hausa language that is because our listeners are predominantly in the Hausa territory. For the private outfits that monitor our transmission for advert agencies, we were told that we commend 80 per cent of the listenership in our area of coverage. We must have been doing reasonably well to the expectation of our listeners for them to keep listening to our station. We thank God for that, it is not our making, is the help of Almighty Allah and we thanked him for that.

Your station has often comes under criticism for what some people see as its anti-government policies. Why is it so?

There is nothing anti-government. We carry out programmes for anybody. By our licensing we are suppose to give fair hearing to everybody, we have to balance. We are not like the state government stations where they can decide to go one way and nobody can bring them back. We are a private station subjected to various kind of sanctions if we default and the condition of our license is that we have to fair hearing, a fair view and fair representation of all parties.

Therefore, if you have to talk about this one, you have to talk about the other. It is there on record we carry programmes and jingles of all the tiers of government; federal, states and local governments who are from different parties.

We carry so many of Kano State government activities which is ANPP and we carry several programmes and jingles for federal government and its agencies here. Bauchi State patronises us, and if you have been monitoring our Ramadan programmes, the governor of Sokoto State and that of Zamfara are sponsoring programmes here. Kano State government officials are sponsoring programmes so there is nothing like being anti-government but of course if somebody hear us talking he would say we are anti-federal government and when we come to play federal government programmes it is like we are anti Kano state government which is in the opposite camp of the federal government. There is nothing like anti-government in our policies.

Can we have a glimpse into your relationship with late Sheikh Ja’afar Adam?

Sheikh Ja’afar was a friend and my malam. I drew inspirations from him, we were involved in the Shari’a advocacy deeply. The team of the malams were our guide. I was the leader of the independent hisbah group so I interacted with almost all the malams there. I was at home with all of them.

We fought for Shekarau to become the governor of Kano State. I am sure, I will be in the upper 20 people who painstakingly put whatever we had to fight and alhamdulillah, Allah gave us success he became the governor because we wanted him to implement the Sharia.

You explained how through the pro-sharia groups you sponsored the candidacy of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau but people would wonder how your relationship deteriorates to sour one?

Well, really, there is only one issue. First of all, I am older than Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, we were not born in the same location, we did not go to the same school, we did not live in the same area therefore whatever kind of relationship that can emanate between two people never connected me with him. In fact, it was only when the sharia movement started that I come to know Shekarau personally.

I have been hearing his name but there was nothing that brought us together; he was a teacher while I have been a banker and a businessman, so even in the business world, we were far apart. Therefore, there was nothing that could bring me and him.

It was only the issue of the sharia. When we found he was not really keen in implementing the Sharia this was what made us to withdraw from the government, but I was in the Sharia implementation advisory committee which the government appointed in the first place. However, when we realise he wasn’t really keen on implementing the Sharia as he promised in his campaigns, we decided to withdraw. This was the only reason.

But voices from the side of the government say you drew line between you and the governor when he kicked against your choice to be the leader of the government-constituted, Hisbah Board.

No. there was nothing like that. In fact, one evening my deputy in the independent Hisbah called me, I had even retired to bed. He said there was an emergency meeting at Malam Umar Sani Fagge’s house. I asked what the meeting was about, he said he (Fagge) being the chairman of the Shar’a movement said there was need for us to meet that night and he said I should inform three other people with whom we were in the board of independent hisbah. We had just parted about an hour so I tried their telephones but I could not reach them so I just went to Malam Umar Sani Fagge’s house.

When we gathered; Umar Sani Fagge, Rabo was there, then Malam Yahaya Faruk came. The four of us waited but nobody came so we started the meeting. Malam Umar Sani said the governor wanted us to advice him on who and who would be members of the Sharia commission, the Zakat commission and Hisbah board.

He gave us the criteria for the position of the secretary to the Hisbah board; he must be a lawyer with at least five years post-call experience and he must have some knowledge of the Sharia law and Arabic. Unanimously, we agreed that that should be Mahboub.

Then it comes to the commander of the Hisbah, I said, no, if he wants to be fair to us, like he gave us this criteria, then we should also get criteria for the commander, I don’t want to look stupid to name somebody and they later say he is not qualified. If the committee is really taken serious, we should have some criteria also so that from the rank and file we would be able to determine who became what in the hisbah because Rabo and myself operated the hisbah more than anybody else in the Sharia movement so we knew who should go where. They insisted and a number of names where juggled but at the end of the day they decided who they want to appoint.

At the meeting, Malam Umar Sani particularly said if we should be realistic, you should be the commander. I declined. He said why, I told him “look, I have not organised my office to appoint a successor, I can not do it.” Simple as that. Then they brought in one person. I said “no, lets not look ridiculous. If there is anybody after me, if I want to be selfish, see Rabo here. He should be the commander general. Don’t bring selfish interest that will destroy all the good work we have done so far.”

At the end of the day, they conveyed the information, I don’t know what they took to him (the governor) but some days later it was announced that I was going to be the second in command in the hisbah. By then the Freedom Radio has been established and I had the first meeting with the editorial board that same day. I did not know they were going to swear in any other person. They kept calling me, I said “look, I told them I didn’t want so there was no point calling me to say come. I am not coming because I have some other serious business too.” Eventually, they decided to appoint Rabo as the second in command in the Hisbah. This was how it all went.

Sir, recently, out of the blues there emerged a petition that led to your arrest and detention by the police in connection with an alleged forgery which was linked to the assassination of Sheikh Ja’afar Adam. May we have your own side of the story?

It was one Friday morning around the hours of 7:30, some police officers came to my house with their car parked outside and my house is the dead-end of a street; it is a close. My son who was leaving next door saw this car, he was a bit security conscious, and he came to find out because he saw somebody entering my house and the car was parked outside. He asked the man, I was then having a shave, the man said he was not with the car people so he went out and started making trouble.

By then they have finished shaving me, the man came to say he was a police and they were together with his boss. I questioned him on why he concealed his identity knowing well the security implication. I said “if these guys shout and people out there came and started attacking you, are you going to shoot them?” anyway, the matter was settled then they said they came to invite me to the police station, there was a complaint. I doubted them. I said are you sure is me? They said yes.

I said all right, are you here to arrest me or are you here to invite me. They said we are here to invite you. I said ‘are you going with me or am I going alone’ they said ‘we are going with you.’ I said then this is an arrest. Where is your arrest warrant?’ they said there was none. I agreed to go with them nonetheless. Then I asked, ‘are you allowing me to change my cloth?’ they said ‘yes, go and change’. I went in and changed my gown and told my family that I have been invited to the police station they said there was some complaints against me. Nobody sought it was that magnitude of a complaint, so I went.

When we reached their office they brought a letter, handed it to me, and said this is the compliant, read. There is a covering letter and there is an attachment of a photocopy of a cheque. In the letter which is bearing the office of the secretary to the Kano State government and signed by an officer, permanent secretary, REPA (Research, Evaluation and Political Affairs), the letter started; ‘I am directed…’

There were two issues to inform the police, this letter was addressed to the police. “I am directed to report that some unknown persons went in to the office of the permanent secretary, REPA and stole a letterhead and forged a letter addressed to the commissioner that N100 million be released on the instruction of the governor to be paid to MESSRS NAIS BK.” (copy attached).” This is one complain.

The second issue is also “here attached is a photocopy of a cheque of N100 million”. The two have no relationship. This was paid to AK BAT; the last letter I could not fill it even in my statement to the police because it was blunt whether it is BATA, or BATO or BATI or whatever, but BAT was definitely there and eligible. They said, “you are expected to answer this”, “I said what is it about?” they said “the cheque is from your company”.

So I called my office manager, Nasiru, and directed him to go to the office and crosscheck the cheque book of the FILAPS account on which the complaint was based. I said “I want you to confirm, here is a photocopy of a cheque, with this account number and cheque number, can you confirm whether it is from our stock and it is our account?” He confirmed in the positive.

The cheque has N100 million on it so I asked what was the last cheque we issued. He said “it is ending with 7 and it was issued on April 6, 2007”. So I said do you know of any deposit of N100 million into our account?” he said “no”. I then directed him to go to the bank to request for our statement and bring it to me at the police station.

The two of us, Nasiru and myself, sign on our cheque. This cheque has only one signature and it did not correspond to either mine or Nasiru’s, so even from there the police knew all these was ruse. The total credit turnover was below N4 million and we have stopped using this account two years earlier.

This particular cheque was issued one year after we have stopped using the account; it was dated April 3, 2008. even from then the police knew it was all a ruse but probably because this is a government and the government wants me punished, that is why the police decided to go ahead pressing they are charging us.

I inferred in my statement that the BK NAIS has nothing to do with me, I don’t know what is it. So the forgery of N100 million has nothing to do with me. This cheque might have been stolen from our chequebook and I don’t know anything about it. The signatures does not correspond to that of any of us. We operate on a dual signature so since this is a forged cheque, under the banking laws, a forged cheque is not the mandate of a customer. As such, it will not be debited to his account. Besides, we stopped using this account one year ago, so it could not have been there and this cheque has still not gone to the bank until that day, that cheque has never been presented to the bank.

I made my statement and called my lawyer who went through it and okayed it. The police here in Kano started going from one office to another without telling me what was the next action. The next thing, they called my lawyer and said “this is more than just a forgery issue. The payee of this cheque is the man who killed Mallam Ja’afar and because the case of Malam Ja’afar has been transferred to Abuja that is why we are taking him to Abuja now.”

There is nothing in my statement relating me to the issue of Malam Ja’afar, this was just a verbal information from the police and before I am given any chance to defend myself, I was conveyed to Abuja. Before we even leave this town, according to the information I got later, the Kano State Radio has started airing that the killer of Sheikh Ja’afar has been caught, in my person. This was put on air intermittently trying to incite the public to come and destroy Freedom Radio and our family members; alhamdulillah none these happened. People didn’t even believe them. In fact there was a counter effect on the government. Nothing has happened. I thank God for putting me on trial and making it easy.

Considering that you were taken to Abuja and later released. What is the status of the case now?

The police said they are still investigating, that’s all.

Are you ready to take any action in order to clear your name and claim damages?

(silent)

It was reported that your company actually lost three cheque leaves of the same account one of which was used in the said petition. How comes you missed those cheque leaves?

We later traced that three of our cheque leaves were torn. We did not know because we are no longer using the account. Until that day the police arrested me, we did not know that they have been stolen because we have stopped using the account, we are not using the cheque.

But a government official later came out to say that they got all those documents from somebody in Kaduna.

As far as I am concerned, our cheque leaves were stolen and the government took the cheque to the police. And since the police told me that this cheque was paid to the killer of Malam Ja’afar, this cheque can only be available from one of three sources: the issuer of the cheque, the person to whom it is issued or the bank in the event the cheque has been cashed; the bank became the custodian of the cheque.

Obviously, the cheque never went to the bank so it couldn’t have been from the bank neither it is from us. Since the government brought the issue of this cheque, they know where the killer is. They should produce the killer because the government official on behalf of the Kano State government, and, I insist, on behalf of the Kano State government because the letterhead of the office of the secretary to the state government was used to say “I am directed” and signed by permanent secretary, REPA.

So, it must have been an official compliant. Whoever says it is unofficial is deceiving himself may be he does not know the content but the letter is there with the police if you can, go and check it out. If they wish, they can even give you a photocopy to publish.

What they are saying is that it was a kind of a move to blackmail the government that later bounces back…

(cuts in…) it bounces back to the government! The government should produce the killer of Malam Ja’afar. All these, like I narrated the story, the two things do not even tally. N100 million was forged from the government made payable to BK NAIS, our cheque was stolen and N100 million payable to AK BATU or BATA was written. Where is the conformity? None! Only at the last minute, the police came to say, “O, this BATA man is the one who killed Malam Ja’afar so we are taking you to Abuja”.

So if I am being accused, like Radio Kano and some dallies they invited to connive with them confirmed that I am the killer even before I am tried, then they should bring out the killer because the cheque is from the government. If the police will do justice to me, those people; the person who signed the letter and the person who directed him should have been arrested because they should have been the first suspects.

Kano Clerics In Seccret Talks Over Ja'afar's Murder

2009-06-29T13:27:00.001-07:00

My hands are clean – Shekarau

Following the controversy that greeted the sudden arrest of a senior radio station director in Kano last week in connection with the murder of a prominent Islamic cleric, top Islamic scholars in the state have held secret talks at the weekend.

The situation virtually forced the Kano State governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, to go on live radio yesterday and took an hour to exonerate his government from any blame in the matter.

Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmoud Adam, a very influential cleric with a huge following, was gunned down two years ago as he led the dawn prayer inside his mosque in the Dorayi quarters of Kano metropolis.

Ever since then, accusing fingers have continued to be pointed at various directions, with the police failing to find the killers. A recent posting on the Saharareporters website accused the state government of complicity in the killing, a charge hotly denied by the government.

Last week, the police in Kano arrested the Executive Vice Chairman of the Kano-based Freedom Radio, Alhaji Ado Mohammed, in connection with Ja’afar’s assassination. He has not been released.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP, the force public relations officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirmed the arrest, adding that the police were investigating the circumstances relating to the death of Sheikh Ja'afar and promised that they would leave no stone unturned on the issue.

Mohammed’s arrest has caused further recriminations.

The police were reportedly petitioned by a Kano State government official, who accused Mohammed, a close confidante of the late cleric, of withdrawing vast sums of money allegedly in order to help fund the assassination. The 60-year-old Mohammed was a leader of the Sharia vigilante group known as Hisba during the days of voluntary Hisba committee in the state prior to its incorporation as an official agency by the Shekarau administration.

LEADERSHIP

gathered yesterday that some clerics have been in consultation over his arrest. Our correspondent reports that special prayers beseeching God to expose those behind the murder were held on Friday night during the usual Islamic class session at the Usman Bin Affan Islamic Centre, which used to be chaired by Ja'afar.

The meetings, attended by the scholars mostly of the deceased’s creed of orthodox Sunni, were held in secret and no details were made available for journalists. But LEADERSHIP gathered that the arrest of Mohammed and the turn of events in the investigation of the murder were in the forefront of the discussions.

On Saturday, the management of Freedom Radio had said it planned to take legal action against the Kano State government, alleging that its findings showed that the office of the Secretary to the State Government authored the petition to the police that named Muhammad as being involved in a transaction that led to the death of Ja'afar.

Disclosing this during a press conference, the Executive Director of Freedom Radio, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, said that in the letter, the government official had stated that the government’s letterheaded paper was stolen and his signature forged to withdraw the sum of N100 million from the account of the Research and Documentation Directorate of the government, which they claimed had been allegedly traced to the account of FILAPS, the mother company of Freedom Radio, in which Mohammed was also vice-chairman.

Dalhatu said the claim that the said money was traced to FILAPS' account was "false, malicious and irresponsible."

He explained that the account, which was domiciled in Bank PHB at No.17/18 Bello Road, Kano, with No. 0091020000216, was opened on August 21, 2006 with N2,280,000. The last transaction on the account, he said, was a withdrawal of N7,000 on April 19, 2007 vide cheque No.10196587, while the total turnover throughout the duration of the account was N3.9 million before the account became dormant.

Dalhatu, who holds the traditional title of Walin Dutse, added that there had neither been a deposit nor withdrawal of any amount above N3 million from the account.

He added that he was aware that in the last two weeks the police had visited the bank but had not found anything wrong or suspicious. He said after the commencement of the police investigation, FILAPS had discovered that three cheque leaves, nos. 10196588, 10196589 and 10196590 of the said account, were missing, presumably stolen, one of which was used to pretend to have been used in the alleged transaction leading to the death of Ja'afar.

The executive director described the allegation as a "crude, clumsy and utterly despicable attempt to smear the good name of FILAPS, Freedom Radio and Ado Mohammed," adding that this showed how far their enemies were willing to go in order to set them up against their teaming listeners and the general public.

He said it was up to the state government to come out and clearly confirm whether or not their account was actually debited with the sum of N100 million and name the beneficiary of the withdrawal. "It is also up to them to explain how one of the three missing cheques whose photocopy was attached to their petition came in their possession", he noted.

He explained that "this official high-handedness started since 2004 when Freedom Radio did the most basic journalistic work by reporting the fertilizer scandal in which the Kano State government was embroiled."

He assured that the radio station would not relent in its effort of discharging its professional duties to the society responsibly, despite all the odds.

In an apparent response to Dalhatu’s comments, which were aired on the usually vocal Freedom Radio, Governor Ibrahim Shekarau went live on the Kano State Radio yesterday and explained that his government had no connection whatsoever with the arrest of Ado Mohammed.

He said his government only learnt about the matter from the media, saying the issue of the arrest started when a civil servant in the government personally petitioned the police complaining that a letter was posted on the Saharareporters website in which he was alleged to have instructed the office of the state Ministry of Finance to release the sum of N100 million to someone, while a cheque in the like sum was attached.

Malam Shekarau stated that the civil servant told the police in the petition that he was alleged to have issued a cheque of N100 million to someone who confessed to have undertaken the assassination.

According to the governor, the government official, who never wrote such a letter or directed anyone to do so, discovered that his signature was forged, adding that he never had an account in the bank in question.

Shekarau said the man had asked the police to investigate the matter.

The governor said the police were now investigating the issue, saying the government was not at war with Mohammed or Freedom Radio.

The police, he said, were not directly under the state government. "Three years ago, the police arrested and detained some officials of the State Hisbah Board for three months. If they were under our control, I might have directed their release, but it did not happen. The issue, then, had to be thrashed out in the court of law", he said.

Shekarau regretted that many people lacked knowledge on the way government worked and therefore damaged the reputation of its officials, including that of the governor.

"I swear by Allah that neither the governor nor the government has a hand in this matter of Alhaji Ado," Shekarau said. "It was an allegation made against somebody, who then petitioned the police in the pursuit of his rights. It is up to the police to question Alhaji Ado and see if he could assist them in their investigation; if he is innocent, then, they would release him."

The governor said that inviting people to answer questions by the police during investigations was not a new thing, adding that many people in the state were questioned over Ja'afar's assassination. "I know them. Some are very influential, some even spend a day or two and go back home," he added.

Shekarau said, "Even our brother Bashir Dalhatu has said that he would never forget about his arrest during the era of Nuhu Ribadu for about fourteen days or fourteen weeks - I cannot remember - but he was later released after the police and the EFCC were satisfied with his explanations. So in view of Alhaji Ado's case, to me it is a simple matter. By tomorrow if the police are satisfied with his comment, he will be released."

Also clarifying the matter further yesterday, the Director of Press and Public Relations to the state governor, Malam Sule Ya'u Sule, said, "Somebody posted a letter purportedly from the office of the Secretary to the State Government that he is instructing finance ministry to release the sum of N100 million to someone and a cheque of N100 million was attached. The person that was said to have written this letter is the Permanent Secretary, Research, Evaluation and Political Affairs Department in the Cabinet Office, Malam Bello Shehu Usman.

"Again, a cheque was said to have been issued of N100 million to someone who allegedly or who confessed to have undertaken the killing of late Sheikh Ja'afar. That letter and the cheque were posted on the Saharareporters website. Having seen the letter and the cheque, Malam Bello Shehu, the permanent secretary, denied that he never instructed, he never wrote, such a letter, he never directed such a letter to be written, and the signature was forged; it wasn't his signature and he never had an account in Bank PHB because the cheque that was said to have been issued is a cheque of Bank PHB of the sum of N100 million. The account of Kano State government is with Unity Bank, not Bank PHB. He was said to have directed that N100 million be paid from the account of the state government in Bank PHB with a cheque posted on the Sahara website.

"It was said to have been this permanent secretary who instructed that money on the instruction of the governor that a person whose name was written on the cheque be paid that amount so that he will go and carry out that act. Based on that, Malam Bello Shehu, having seen that, wrote a petition letter to the police commissioner, saying that his signature was forged and that he has never written such a letter and he has never known such an account. Government has never operated an account with Bank PHB, government has never issued such a cheque because it doesn't, and therefore asked the police to investigate.

"It was Malam Bello Shehu in his person as Malam Bello Shehu that has written the letter, not Kano State government because he was said to have done that. Based on this letter police embarked on investigation. They sought for legal clarification, they went to the said bank and requested for detailed information of that account and discovered the identity of the owner of that account and discovered the identity of the cheque issued and the police briefed the press about their discovery, not Kano State government.

"I am not here to respond to anybody or join issues with anyone but rather I am here to tell you the actual fact as it is. I know many of you are confused."

Meanwhile, the family of Ado Mohammed has raised alarm over what they called the detainee’s old age and deteriorating health condition.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP last night, Alhaji Faruk Dalhatu, who spoke on behalf of the family, said Mohammed was suffering from backache, hence he was placed on permanent medication.

He said: "Alhaji Ado Mohammed is very sick. We are very much concerned about the state of his health because when they arrested him they did not allow him to take his medications along. He was supposed to fly out for surgery on his back last week but it was postponed, and now we don't even know when he can go. He has a very bad back for which he had a surgery a few months ago."

Dalhatu also debunked a claim made by the state government that the said petition for which Mohammed was arrested was written by a permanent secretary in the government in his personal capacity. He said the fact that the said petition was written on the government's letterheaded paper meant that it was official.

Written by me and my colleague, Mansur Sani Malam published on page 1, 4 & 6 of today's LEADERSHIP (29/6/09).

The Death and the Writer

2009-06-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

In this picture snapped late 2008 in red and cap is Abdullahi Yaron Malam (one of the writers that died recently) with me in t-shirt on the Kwatarkwasi inselberg Zamfara State during the last (2008) convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

Death, my grandfather once told me, detests the hubbub and hullabaloo around its prey when it comes calling. He said, death does not come amidst clattering and chatting by what he called sinful occupants of this earth and it always shies from the eyes of close relatives. “mutuwa na jin kunyar idon mahaifi” he told me in Hausa, typical of his wit-laden conversation.

The angel of death, or so I thought, has his device of keeping people mute and sending away those relatives on whose eyes he could not pick his target. Perhaps he has some agents whom he sends to clear the way for him – to send away all the unwanted persons and circumstances. They whisk away talks and suspend the mind for some time, and make the relatives leave willy-nilly or, at worst, get their attention off the terminal corpse.

As I am grow, I hear of many confessions that only vindicate grandpa. Many a people would come to lament how they vacate the bedside of an ill person only to come back to see corpse in her substitute. The bereaved relatives normally make these confessions when one goes to condole with them.

‘He just insisted that I go and call the doctor for him but as I came back, he is no more’

‘She asked me pressingly to come back home and take one more wrapper for her but when I went back I met her corpse’ you would hear this again and again.

Therefore, as a child, whenever I went to makarantar allo, the local Qur’anic school, or when playing with my peers, I developed a habit of enmity towards silence. I hate silence, hence, I always cherish murmurs of some defiant pupils when our teacher – an old bearded learned Fulani man asked us to keep quite for one announcement or the other or for sacrificial or closing prayers.

“It passes!” we would say when we observed some silence in our group and that instinctively arouse thunderous noise. This was a device to block the death’s chances.

But how does the death picks a writer? Writer, at least he who merits the tag, is a symbol of engagements. Does the writer stay idle? Many writers enter toilet with books to capture some aroma away from the defecation. Others say their muse is at best when taking shower or on transit. And for many writers detention in prison or hospital means solitary compartment to ponder on issues and, if possible, write.

If she is alone, a writer is either pondering over a plot of a new story or how best should rhyme and rhythm of a poem be. Therefore, writer, you could say, gives no chance to death. However, when it comes calling, death has many tricks and devices to wrap away its target: it stops the mind, momentarily, to enable it snatch away the soul.

When it intended to pick Malama Binta, it followed her to the airport, to the aircraft and afraid not to meet Binta’s relatives, it gripped her in the plane. It was at that time when everybody is tired and awaiting landing; probably in an innate state of mind. The same with Yaron Malam. The executioner dragged him to where it wanted to take him away – the state library and the agents of the angel of death detained him there until the angel came for his soul. He could not be picked when he was speaking, when he was drafting something in the laptop until the time he was glaringly glancing at the screen absentmindedly.

Death too has extraordinary task in bringing a writer to book.

However, I have a solace. Malama Binta is here with us! Yaron Malam is very much alive! After all, does a writer die? Look at Pythagoras, Socrates, Aristotle, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), al-Ghazzali, Malik bin Anas, Einstein, Nicolo Machiavelli, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Ibn Hazm, Ibn Arab, Abubakar Imam, Sa’adu Zungur, name them, are they not living still in our midst? Death only takes away the body and the breath. Writers live to eternity.

If I want to see Binta or Yaron Malam, I can see them in between these black inscriptions of their works. In the same way that I can still see Abubakar Imam in Magana Jari Ce, Okigbo in Labyrinth, or Shakespeare in As You Like It. English metaphysical poet, Dr. John Donne could not be more apt in his “Holy Sonnet 10” in describing the relationship between the death and man – writer especially when he writes with artistic bravura:

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well,
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

That is the virtue of writing. Writers are special creatures. Don’t we say/write; “He writes”, “He observes” while quoting Plato or Bala Usman but “He said”, “She observed” in the case of others? That’s writing! Writers do not expire they live to eternity with their words quoted in perfect (eternal) tense always! Therefore, write and write what you think is right you will get the right rite even in deathly hallucination.
6:05pm 6/6/09, Kano
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*Soliloquy in memoriam of Malama Binta S. Mohammed and Abdullahi Mukhtar (Yaron Malam) presented at a special reading in memory of the two writers at Murtala Mohammed Library, Ahmadu Bello way, Kano organised by ANA Kano. Sunday, June 7, 2009.

Court Bans Circulation of 11 Hausa Songs

2009-06-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

A Kano chief magistrate presiding over a mobile court attached to the state Censorship Board has banned listening, sale and circulation of 11 Hausa songs, describing the songs as obscene, confrontational and amoral.

The songs, according to the presiding judge, Chief Magistrate Muhtari Ahmed, include: Oyoyo by Adam A. Zango, Billy O's Martani, Ibro Sankarau, Ibro Sauka a Babur and Walle-walle.

Others are; Gari Ya Yi Zafi, Auta, Hasbunallahu, Girgiza Kai (master), Kowa Ya Ci Ubansa/Uwarsa, and Wayyo Kaico.

Magistrate Ahmed said, the court is going to prosecute anyone found circulating the songs. According to him, selling the songs, playing them, and downloading them by any means are also banned.

He said the order was issued by the court in accordance with section 97 of the state Censorship Board Law 2001 Cinematography and Licensing Regulation of the same year.

Ahmed explained that by the provision of the said sections of the law, any person who for the purpose of or by way of trade, makes produces or has in his possession blasphemous, pornographic or obscene writing or object that will corrupt public morale can be charged under the law, among others.

Kano: The Malam's Scorecard

2009-05-30T09:40:00.005-07:00

ABDULAZIZ A. ABDULAZIZ reviews the last six years of the Ibrahim Shekarau-led administration assessing interventions of the government in some key areas of human life. He reports that though Shekarau has performed above average a lot wait to be seen.

As some governors, and the presidents are marking their two years in office, for the Kano State governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, it is a double celebration as he marks six years at the apex office of the state governor and mid term of his second coming. It is on note that Shekarau is the first to break a perceived jinx for two terms in Kano . However, while his critics views his first term as “colossal waste of goodwill” judging by his performance, it could be said that the governor has now risen to the task.

Many have the opinion that for Shekarau, there is no reason to fail especially after this second coming. Available data show that he has the most conducive chance of performance compared to all his predecessors. First, he commandeers so much goodwill from the lowly masses at the grassroots, a support that saw him through in 2007 despite alleged attempts at snatching the mandate from the top.

The second and most important advantage of the Shekarau administration is his coming at the right time, resource wise. His government collected the largest amount of money received by any administration in the past. These, coupled with his seeming populist ideology and the experience he garnered as a permanent secretary in various ministries including the cabinet office for a period of close to a decade, could be the right parameters to weigh Shekarau.

Education:
To begin with education which is his own constituency, Shekarau has performed creditably in this sector especially with the establishments of scores of post-primary schools all over the state and employment of over 4000 teachers. This development, according to official figures has increased secondary school intake by about 40 percent. Similar intervention is also in place for the primary schools with new schools and additional classrooms being constructed. Of recent, the state government okayed the intake of 1000 NCE holders for the same purpose. \

For the tertiary institutions, the Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST, Wudil) could not said to have paired better due to starve of infrastructure that hinders academic activities in the university. Though millions of naira were pumped to the institution, LEADERSHIP check revealed that the university has nothing to show for it as many uncompleted buildings dots its premises. This development has necessitated students to resort to using accommodation outside the school.

Our correspondent however discovered that a number of tutors at the institution are currently under the state government scholarship for further studies abroad. This may explain the reason why the school is starved of infrastructure as the authorities prioritized training of staff rather than physical development. This however paid in another way as the university enjoys full accreditation of its courses by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

In other state-owned high institutions of learning, lecture halls and theatres are constructed to cater for the increasing population. However, this intervention is yet to quench the craving needs as in most institutions students still squat for lectures under the trees like at Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education or cramped in hundreds in small lecture halls as in the state polytechnic and other institutions.

Furthermore, in its bid to perfect a conducive teaching and learning environment, the state government has purchased and distributed 1, 278 laptop computers worth over N270 million. The intention of the government, according to the governor while launching the computers, is to acquaint lecturers with modern implements of teaching. He therefore directed all the institutions to purchase other accessories to be used with the computers for modern teaching. This brilliant idea, LEADERSHIP can confirmed, was hitched by the schools who show no readiness to take the new development.

Health:
In the healthcare sector, the government has taken giant stride for its ongoing projects for the construction of two modern hospitals which if completed will cost the state about N5 billion. The hospitals in reference are general hospital at Giginyu and a pediatric hospital sited at Gyadi-gyadi quarters. Already the Abubakar Imam Urology centre founded by the government is fully functional. In addition, certain renovations are performed at various hospitals even as health personnel are also engaged.

The Shekarau administration has equally adopted free medical care for pregnant women to the time of childbirth as well as free accident and emergency care in all government hospitals. Many people welcomed it as a populist policy that will ameliorate the suffering the in the masses. The policy however encountered a setback no sooner its proclamation as it is rendered a ghost by lack of supervision.

LEADERSHIP checks indicate that though the policy is still officially enforced, the fact that patients still have to buy the prescribed drugs in such situations has made the initiative a shadow of its supposed image. Our investigation reveals that in most hospitals the patients received only the commonest drugs free and buy others outside. The nursing mothers and accident victims are mostly entitled to painkillers and vitamin c as against the designated package.

Water supply:
With the construction of multi billion naira Tamburawa water treatment plant, the Shekarau administration intended to nib the perennial water scarcity in the bud. However, from all indications, the problem has defied the solution. But the government seems all out to plush it out with recent commencement of another water work at Watari dam at Gwarzo local government and with laying of new pipes that will take water to the city for distribution.

When LEADERSHIP visited Tamburawa water works, the water discharger was pumping out 150 million liters of potable water – the exact quantity it meant to provide that notwithstanding the water problem persists. As at this time, about 60 per cent of residential areas of Kano metropolis do not have access to pipe borne water. The concerned authorities are, however, always promising prompt solution.

Infrastructure:
One obvious area that Shekarau channels his attention now is the infrastructural development which he failed to capture in his first tenure. Kano State is now witnessing massive overhaul especially in the construction of roads. The government has earmarked billion of naira under it Economic Road Map for the redesign of the city which includes expansion of existing roads and construction of new ones.

At present apart from the numerous completed road projects, which include the expansion of France Road , about six other roads are being reconstructed to three lane dual carriageways. These projects are giving the metropolitan Kano a new facelift, which, according to the government, will attract investors to the city and open up other opportunities.

Staff welfare:
Perhaps no other person enjoys the Shekarau administration in Kano as do the working class. This is evident because apart from many packages which the governor initiated for the welfare of the civil servants, he has always being in the forefront of implementing any salary increase approved for the workers. This may explain why the civil servants in Kano State seldom do go on strike, as is the mores in some states.

Aside the enhanced salary of the civil servants in tandem with nationally approved scale, Shekarau brought the idea of two annual bonuses to all workers in the state civil service namely; Ramadhan bonus and ram bonus. The Ramadhan bonus is given at the beginning of Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan and the ram bonus at the time of Muslim celebration of Sallah, the eid Adha. Each bous is half a person’s monthly basic salary.

General Administration:
On the general administration, while Shekarau is regarded as a toothless leader who is often indecisive, it is commendable that this time around the governor has come on with something of his own by cracking the unhealthy handling of tax collection by the state Board of internal Revenue with engaging skilled consultants on tax collection. This yielded positive result as the reaped bumper harvest of increase on internally generated revenue.

Another important decision is the creation of additional ministry for science and technology. The ministry, according to the governor while swear-in its commissioner, is passion out modalities for the state to harp into the goodies of the science and technology. One specific and visble task for the science and technology ministry is the handling of the state ICT Park located at Ado Bayero House. With the caliber of the person entrusted with the ministry, many people are words of mouthing hope for the ministry at this age of technological innovations and development.

Looking Ahead…
With Shekarau’s mid-term result looking okay, one thing however is the uncertainty of continuing on the same track especially looking at the prevailing situation. One visible pointer to this is strong fear of encroaching politics and its tricks. Whereas he is strongly tipped/vying for the presidency, the intrigue of who will/should succeed him is another riddle waiting to be solved.

Available evidence shows that Shekarau is salivating at the presidential position as his moves and that of his confidents show. This intention has, no doubt, affected the running of Kano in the last few month a development some begin to interpret as the beginning of the worse if at all the governor is to run for the post. Another implication is allegation already expressed by the opposition that the governor is using the state coffers to sponsor his ambition for the presidency.

In the home front, as the leader of his party in the state, Shekarau is expected to recommend somebody who will succeed him at the end of his tenure, a task that is no mean a small action. At present, the horn is locked between politicians from different orientation on who should succeed him. Notably, a larking disagreement between ulamas and actual politicians on this issue is likely to give Shekarau a major headache hence distraction.

PUBLISHED IN LEADERSHIP, FRIDAY MAY 29, 2009.

Triumphs and Travails of a Traditional Bonesetter

2009-05-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

As conventional orthopedic hospitals tend to worsen instead of ameliorate bone injuries, even as the expertise of physiotherapists is becoming out of the reach of the poor, ABDULAZIZ A. ABDULAZIZ reports that people are turning to relatively efficient local bonesetters for succour. This is based on an encounter he had with Dr. Sardauna Halidu, a local bone setter in Kano who wants to modernise his trade.

As one approaches the area - an inner suburb of Tudun murtala quarters of Nassarawa Local Government in Kano municipality, one does not have to be told that one is in the domain of a master bonesetter. Even before reaching the house of this remarkable man, one may likely see some of his recuperating patients strolling on the streets. His name rings a bell not only in his immediate surrounding but also in the whole of Kano State and beyond.

The man, Dr. Sardauna Halidu, popularly known as Dan Gara Mai Dori, is a 45-year-old Igala indigene of Kogi State. The title "Dr." is added to his name not because he attended any conventional medical school but because be acquired the expertise to do what, according to him, the conventional doctors cannot do. He is called gracefully as Dr. Sardauna. Though not of Kano origin, Halidu has invariably become a Kano man, having lived a great chunk of his life living and helping Kano people.

The unique attribute of Halidu is his ability to do what conventional orthopedic hospitals cannot do by accommodating and healing people who tried the modern bonesetting method but did not succeed. His other peculiar practice is his effort at improving what he knows best. As against the practice of most local bonesetters, who discharge patients immediately after the broken bone is set, Halidu established a sort of clinic where he accomodates patients till they are healed.

When LEADERSHIP visited the house cum clinic of this man of wonders, many patients were seen nursing their various injuries at different stages of healing. Similarly, POP, a wrapping used in hospitals in mending fractures, were seen everywhere. Halidu said it is what they removed from patients who dumped conventional medical care to his traditional medical centre in search of cure for their broken limps.

"You can see, it is all over," he said, pointing at the stocked POP casings. They come from the hospital when they see no healing in sight after spending long time in the hospital," Halidu said. According to him, the trend of patients fleeing hospitals to him for rescue is not without problems. "Doctors are always full of envy any time they come to my clinic, asking for proof if what I claim is right", he said. As he goes round from one admission room to another, patients gladly greet him, crack some jokes and complain of one or two things, if any.

According to Halidu, that gives him pleasure and satisfaction. He said people always troop to him on a daily basis and from all parts of the state with cases of fracture or dislocation. "They are uncountable. People come every time." On what it takes for a treatment in his increasingly patronised "clinic", Halidu said he does not charge a fixed amount.

"We don't charge. If a person comes we just collect money to purchase materials for the work and with God's help we discharge him if he becomes normal. I do not ask for anything. If a person brings it, fine, if he does not, we move on. Thank you is more than money", he stressed. Halidu explained that as he heals people on a daily basis so also he gets patronage from well-known personalities. "People come with fresh cases or those that defied hospitals and with God on my side I treat them to recovery" he said.

He considers the bonesetting venture as a philanthropic enterprise. Though he has prominent personalities who patronise him, including a movie star, Sani Danja, who recently suffered an accident, Halidu said he did not see that as an opportunity to extort money from patients to enrich himself. Halidu said bone-setting is his family trade. He inherited it from his forefathers. He posited that it is not in their ethic to charge people for their service, hence despite over twenty years of practice, he does not have any material benefit to show for it except satisfaction of the mind.

His clinic, which has about eight 'wards', is located among three neigbouring houses in the locality. The main building, which doubles as his house, has three rooms accommodating patients. The remaining 'wards' are around the main house with various patients in each. The main problem to Halidu is getting a better place to transfer his clinic and give it a befitting face even as he is now facing a quit notice.

"I just manage here. Sometimes the rooms could not accommodate the people, that is why Sani Danja had to be taken back to his house because we couldn't accommodate him here. "Moreover, now that I am talking to you, I am on notice to quit this building. The owner has died, so the heirs want to sell it but I cannot afford it. If the government can help me as it used to help other people, then it would be for the good of all. I have no alternative than to start searching for another place now for rental", Halidu explained.

A patient who identified himself as Mr. James Oliya, spoke to our reporter at the 'clinic'. According him, he had a car accident two months ago and was promptly admitted to a hospital. The hospital could not do anything about the two fractures he sustained, so Halidu was called who set the bones immediately. "I now feel better. I thank God that I came here because in the hospital they over-charge (exploit) people. Look, for these teeth that they set for me I had to spend a hundred thousand, but here it’s very much cheaper", the 36-year old James-Oliya confessed.

Day Students Stormed British High Commission

2009-05-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, scores of youthful students stormed British High Commission’s residency in Kaduna. They invaded the gigantic building located along Independence Way in the heart of the town; chanting, chatting, clasping, hobnobbing and all that. They were there for hours under the night shower.

In fact, the energetic crowd invaded the residency and took hold of the British High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr. Bob Dewar for hours before they set him free. However, surprisingly, you would say, this rather hot news was not in the papers and if indeed it were, it was not given screaming headlines by the editors who are always anxiously waiting for such scoops. However, it has actually happened.

Hold your breath! The cream of students was at the British High Commission’s residency for the good reason. It was not another case of kidnapping of expatriates, which Kaduna recently midwifed for the northern part of the country. They were at the residency on Monday May 4, 2009 to share in the cake of tolerance, understanding, mutual coexistence and peace as the unifying code for the country and, indeed, the prerequisite for meaningful development.

Like cultic initiation, it was, for want of a better word, a sort of solemn gathering where a team of young, ambitious and equal minded young people with shared mission, yearning and aspiration for better Nigeria were brought together. The young men, and women, were drawn from various higher institutions of learning from across the country with some dominance of the north. They traveled from as far as Edo, Sokoto, Ibadan and Maiduguri to rob minds on a common subject; peace – an indispensably inevitable condition for human existence.

The occasion was meant to serve as an interactive dinner with young students from diverse religious and ethnic background. The students interacted freely, friendly and happily with one another for about three hours the event lasted and the session the subsequent morning. To many students that Monday night, it was an exciting lifetime experience – to be in the midst of such hybrid gathering this thus invoke an innate emotion within each and every participant as it manifested the following morning when moderated group discussion was held.

It was gently raining out there so all of us, the participants, were tamed indoors and got clutched in the lounges and parlour of the residency as against the outdoor event that it should be. The session, at the end, turned to a sort of cocktail party everyone was standing throughout the hours. Midway to the eating and drinking comes the blaring voice of Malam Mahdi Shehu, over the mic. Like young people around a performer in the ancient village square, we all gathered around him and a few other personalities, among them the British High Commissioner, Bob Dewar.

According to Mahdi Shehu who delivered what you can call a welcome address, the mission behind the event is to sensitise a group of young Nigerians on the task waiting them out there – the task of taking this country to the next level with peace as the stepping stone. He confirmed that the gathering was in no way coincidental, it was deliberately planned to achieve this purpose and serve as a foundation for intensive advocacy and sustained effort at the grassroots level especially among youth population.

Mahdi Shehu’s wity welcome remark was followed by an impromptu speech by the High Commissioner who espoused on the British High Commission’s aim of boosting peace through grassroots engagements and sensitization of the relevant stakeholders. This, according to him, has been going on for some years now through a collaboration with Kaduna-based, Bridge Builders Association of Nigeria. He said, the commission and indeed the UK government realized the position of peace for national development hence the intervention in the area.

The British High Commission in Nigeria and the Bridge Builders Association of Nigeria share that common goal which in turn gave birth to the joint initiatives. The main preoccupation for the duo is to have more informed society that appreciates the essence of diversity, multiethnicity and socio-religious differences. Agreed that Nigerians are exceptionally religious but I wonder if the fanatic killing in the name of religion is the byword for religiousity.

Bridge Builders Association, like its other counterparts especially in Kaduna state, is a child of circumstance that emanate after series of ethno-religious crises. When I battled to kill you and you retaliate in equal measure and one succeeds over the other but later realized that there are still remnants of his/her enemies, that the enemy’s children and kinsmen are not eliminated in toto then one should think twice. No matter how we yearn to extinct the ‘opposite’ group, we have little chance of inching towards ‘success’.

Would anybody claim that no Bosnian Muslim remained after the Serbian onslaught or that all the Serbs have gone? Did the Hutus think no Tutsi breath as at now after the 1990s ethnic cleansing? Far from it! Fratricide or ethnic cleansing, or any other euphemism you use to call it is an exercise in futility that will make the two sides tired and, after all the fatigue, forced to accept the reality.

It is akin to a Hausa folkloric narration of a fight between two men who after fighting for a long time with nobody to mediate between them, became exhausted that they resolved to stop the fighting but the climax of it is when it comes to taking off each other’s hand from the collar of his partner. “Take your hand off” said the first person, “but if I release you I will fell down,” replied the second person thus they embrace realizing that no one could stand without the other.

Back to Kaduna, the next morning after the high commission’s dinner, it was another mind robbing exercise. That morning, Mahdi Shehu again led the group in another mind robbing exercise where everybody’s personal passion and qualities were explored. The discussion was centered on mission and vision especially its importance for young people who, to borrow that clichéd axiom, are the leaders of tomorrow.

In exceptionally brilliant inspirational talk, Mahdi took the bemused students into an intellectual voyage on what it takes to have mission and vision in life and how beneficial it is to both the visionary person and his/her society. But he threw caution to the air when he explained conditions and steps necessary for informed vision. Mahdi was critical of the young people for their gullibility as he was of the society for feeding them up with information and training that can be best described as garbage.

He hit the nail on the head when he challenged the youth of acute credulity and lack of creativity and critical reasoning. He fenced this point by asserting that most young people these days could be liken to the proverbial description in Hausa of a camel which despite its huge physique follows he who drags it by a small robe wherever he wants to take it. “Check your sent items, all the messages you sent out, you will find out that 40 per cent of them are messages sent to you by others and you forwarded them unedited” he challenged.

The implication of this, according to philosophically sounded Mahdi, is that if one lacks adequate and reliable information to make a decision then he stands the possibility of crashing into mistakes and wrong decisions. To get good product as the output, equally good raw materials should be pumped into the system. He cited numerous examples of visionary individuals and institutions who, like chameleon feces, stamped their indelible presence on the page of history in gold ink.

The like of this interactive session is a good avenue that will make the youth to be conscious of the task ahead of them and the challenges be put across to them. It is high time that young people be considered as the real engine growth of the nation and be included in all gainful initiatives to mot only prepare them but also let them participate to get first hand practical experience.

I have heard it times and again young people expressing their disgust over such pejorative phrase as “leaders of tomorrow”, if the youths are not prepared (practically) now, what sort of leaders will they be tomorrow? A young people once hissed as he complaint to me, “when will the tomorrow come?” I say, the tomorrow is now. It is in this light that the British High Commission and Bride Builders’ initiative deserved commendation. Youthful population is useful for meaningful development.

Presidency: Hurdles Before Shekarau’s Ambition

2009-04-26T08:15:00.001-07:00

This was published in last Monday (20/4/09) edition of LEADERSHIP:

Ahead of the 2011 presidential battle, speculations are rife as to Kano State governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’s undeclared ambition for the top job. As campaigns are picking to have him drafted into the fray even as his media handlers deny the signals, ABDULAZIZ A ABDULAZIZ writes on the hurdles and hopes before the governor’s ambition:

It all began like ordinary rumour. Then it gathered momentum and it is now manifesting and spreading like the proverbial wildfire. With posters and billboards erected in many places especially in Kano State and with calls and advertorials inundating the media, Governor Ibrahim Shekarau can be said to be stirring the murky water early so as to catch the big fish before other fishers turn up. There are several indications that amplify the governor’s intention. Notable among these signals are Shekarau’s recent desperate search for recognition in the far-flung areas of the country.

A man barely known in his immediate constituency before his surprising decision to venture into politics and contest the governorship of Kano all in a day, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau is somebody that was leveraged by luck to have from a sketchy background and with not so strong ‘powerful’ backing. Perhaps it is this miraculous luck that even saw Shekarau breaking the two-term gubernatorial jinx of Kano State. Apparently he is counting on this lucky political upswing as he now eyes a much bigger seat.

If there is anything that aids Shekarau in all his political moves it would not be far from his populist appeal, humility and exceptional power of persuasion. In Kano State where for the first time in history he emerged the first twice-elected governor, Shekarau managed to muster substantial support from the rich and poor, young and old largely due to these three critical qualities. A man who could address people without airs and also bow to greet elders is believed to be enjoying, directly or indirectly, the support of almost all the elders and opinion leaders in the state.

From the monarchs to the clerics and those old hands that have the power of influencing things, down to the leaders of student bodies, youth organisations and even the non-indigenes are largely under influence of the innocent looking governor. With the unmatched respect he accords the powerful royal institution in Kano and appointment of several clerics to various positions, he maintains a stranglehold in the two important institutions. In that strategic quest to remain relevant, Shekarau currently has three persons that are not of Kano origin as special advisers. Another bait is his spree of cars and buses to almost all people in this group from districts heads, clerics to youth organisations and student unions. With these strategic moves Shekarau holds Kano.

At the turn of 2009, events around the governor and his men are signaling many things. With him ending his second and last tenure in two years, it became a subject of speculation on what would be the governor’s next political move. While some are saying he should go for the senate as a more apt position, others think Shekarau can as well be a good candidate for the presidency. The latter, sponsored or otherwise, were quick to spring into action. However, from the side of the governor, the major turning point was when he changed his policy trust unannounced from the hitherto human development to infrastructural development.

From late last year Kano began to experience a pragmatic shift and a total commitment to physical development. It would be recalled that at the commencement of his administration in 2003 Shekarau promised to pursue human development with moral rejuvenation. In what many see as an attempt to sell himself as a good material for the exalted seat of the number one man in the country, Shekarau made the sudden u-turn which has now begun to actively yield fruit. The most visible of these showy projects are found in the gigantic Tamburawa Water Treatment Plant, the proposed ICT project billed for commissioning later this year which is strategically situated at the magnificient Ado Bayero House amidst the city. There are also the Tinapa-like Kanawa modern market now under construction and the various major roads being reconstructed. These projects could really project the image of the governor when it comes to the campaigns.

Another signal from the governor’s side is his recent search for national recognition and what could be described as mania for awards. LEADERSHIP reliably gathered that the Shekarau no longer spends two weeks in Kano these days. Though seldom traveling out of the country, he is always now on the move - from one part of the country to another. This has not been in vain as it has fetched him recognition from across the country with an Igbo traditional title of ‘Onwa - N’ Etiri Oha’ of Eha - Alumona, Nsukka from Enugu State and a Yoruba title of Atunluse of Edeland from Ondo State which were also capped by a honorary doctorate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

All these, could not be said to be happening spontaneously. In most of his visits to major towns, Shekarau is said to be visiting important personalities and traditional rulers among those visited previously by the governor include the Ooni of Ife, the former Biafran warlord, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, among others. In some instances he was said to have gotten the nod from such personalities to run for the presidency in the next elections.

Be it as it may, LEADERSHIP authoritatively gathered that Shekarau is not a lone runner in the journey to presidency as this reporter learnt that there are strong winds powering him from behind. These powerful hands are said to be working round the clock to bring Shekarau to power come 2011. Among those that are said to be working for Shekarau include three former heads of government, former and serving governors and members of the National Assembly. A chunk of support for him also comes from the traditional institutions from across the country and northern elders.
A former head of state, LEADERSHIP gathered, is coordinating the contacts at the higher level. Shekarau has since become host to regular august guests that comprise former heads of state, governors, and important personalities whose stands add weight to the unfolding quest. This underground political gamble manifested itself when at a recent public function he apologized to the stranded gathering that he couldn’t keep to the time because he received a former head of state. Another important contact person in the Shekarau team is a former governor, now a serving senator who is said to be working hard to see the governor through.

This notwithstanding, a major hurdle to the governor’s said ambition is his perceived good relationship with President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who is said to be firm in guarding his territory against any encroachment for another term. President Yar’Adua is said to be very much at home with Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and more inclined to him than to many PDP governors. A reliable source said the recent showdown between the President and the state governors over sharing excess crude proceed was only resolved with firm intervention of Shekarau. Looking at the dimensions of the said rosy relationship between the two, it will bring to mind two sides of a coin. The first is the possibility of rumpus in the mutual relationship between them and the second facet would evoke the long standing rumour of the Shekarau’s romance, or put otherwise, his courting by the PDP. Politicians opposed to the governor alleged that he was commissioned to stand in ANPP and conclude its destruction which began long ago.

But to hear from the horse’s mouth, the governor has told journalists early this year that he is not in for any political ambition saying he is only ready for any role saddled on him by his party and his people. According to him he is not nursing any ambition. On the issue of decamping to PDP, Shekarau has said it many times to the extent of swearing in the most sacred way that he will ever remain in ANPP come rain or sun.

Treading the same line, the governor’s director of press and public relations, Malam Sule Ya’u Sule told our correspondent that his boss has no intention to vie for presidency saying the governor is now only concerned by his primary assignment as Kano State governor. “His Excellency is totally focused on his second-term mandate and committed to fulfilling his promise to transform Kano and ensure good, accountable, service-driven government for the good of Kano people. It is God who gives power. Nobody can become president or governor unless Allah wishes. If Allah wishes that Malam becomes President at sometime after serving as governor, we will be helpless in realizing it.” He said.

According to him, Shekarau has not as asked or mandated anybody to campaign for him. With 2011 still some 24 months away and all the speculations on Shekarau’s presidential ambition making waves, perhaps it’s time to roll out the crystal balls.

The Trovan Travails: Pfizer Largesse May Tear Kano Apart

2009-04-11T09:36:00.010-07:00

A supposed victim of the 1996 Trovan trial in Kano. Picture from the net.

A slightly edited version of this report is published in today's LEADERSHIP WEEKEND.

As the out of court settlement on two court cases against multinational pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer Inc. instituted by the Kano State government nears completion, mixed feelings and suspicion filled the atmosphere in Kano. While the victims and their families are elated for coming near to justice after 13 years of penury in deformity and mourning of dead ones, observers express concern over transparency in the post-settlement distribution of the proceeds.

The leader of the Kano State team in the legal tussle and the mediation effort, Barrister Aliyu Umar told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND yesterday that integrity and equity will be exercised in expanding the proceeds. Reports which Barr. Umar did not confirm says through the mediation of former US President, Jimmy Carter and Nigeria’s Yakubu Gowon, Pfizer has approved to give $75 million as compensation and damage to the victims of the test and the Kano State government.

The meetings between two parties variously chaired by Carter and Gowon, our correspondent gathered, ended on a fine note between the two parties with Kano State government which requests $2 billion compensation in the court agreeing to accept Pfizer’s $75 million offer. While the specific amount is approved upon, the new trouble that breeds is on how to share it among the concerned parties.

While the Pfizer is said to be proposing a sort of sharing formula which they two parties have to agreed upon before releasing the money, suspicions are on the rise on whether the money will be judiciously expended especially as regards the benefits of the victims. Pfizer is said to be tipping a three way sharing formula in which the victims will get $35 million, $10 million as litigation while the remaining $30 million be spent on revamping healthcare system in the state.

The state Attorney General who refused to disclose the exact amount agreed by the two parties as the total compensation pointed out that the monetary value is fixed and that only the protocols and how to go about the distribution remains. He said before the date of next sitting of the court, which is slated for May 25, all other things will be sorted.

Pfizer has been in trouble following a 1996 trial of oral form of Trovafloxacin Mesylate popularly known as Trovan on children suffering from Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis during a wild meningitis epidemic in the state. About 200 patients were administered with the drug with an alleged approval of a team of scientists from Kano.

“Five children died after being treated with the experimental antibiotic and others showed signs of arthritis, although there is no evidence the drug played a part. Six children died while taking a comparison drug.” Says a 2006 report on The Washington Post, the first media to give serious coverage to the scandal.

Before The Washington Post came in, a number of local media have carried stories on the mysterious death of children following the trial and some parents of the affected children later sued the pharmaceutical giant before a Federal High Court, “but the case went on dragging unnecessarily” said Barr. Umar who is also the Attorney General and Kano State commissioner of Justice.

Typical of its insistent investigative reporting akin to the Watergate Scandal sccop that saw the resignation of President Richard Nixon, The Washington Post had in December, 2000, published a detailed report on the Trovan trial which paved way for an American law firm to sue the multinational company in the US. At the same time attention the state government was drawn which started some actions albeit with no much vigour.

Later when the Shekarau administration came on board it spearheaded a full litigation against Pfizer which after a report of a committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Health has indicted Pfizer of shaddy deals. The state government filed two different cases bordering on civil and criminal offences against Pfizer and individuals involved. Moreover, in June 2006, the federal government also sued the company in a Lagos Federal High Court praying for $700 billion compensation.

However, if the present arrangement went down well, all the criminal and civil cases against the drug giants will be withdrawn. Asked on whether the government will take any punitive major against officials of the state involved, the state Attorney General said by there is no such intention saying even the negative publicity is enough to serve as deterrent to the concerned personnel. Pfizer had argued that a team of scientists in Kano led by Dr. Abdulhamid Isa Dutse had accredited the trail and gave nod for the test to go own though it admitted some flaws in the process.

It is hoped that by the end of next month, victims of the dreaded trial will have happiness rekindle on their faces. Sources close to the association of the Trovan test victims said the association is bent on seeing to the fair and equitable distribution of the compensation. However, there are several claims of under deals in the association with some people accusing the leadership of importing fake children as victims and harping on the vulnerability of the actual victims.

Iyan-Tama: AG Discredits Magistrate

2009-03-12T08:33:00.001-07:00

This report of mine is in today's LEADERSHIP

The Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Aliyu Umar, has cast aspersions on a Senior Magistrate, Muhtari Ahmad, for convicting a renowned filmmaker, Alhaji Hamisu Lamido Iyan-Tama, saying due process was not followed in the trial that led to the sentence of the movie practitioner.

The AG told a Kano State high court presided over by Justice Tani Umar and Justice Soron Dinki yesterday that the magistrate rushed to deliver the judgement before completing hearing on the case brought before him in which Iyan-Tama was accused of violating Kano State censorship laws.

The senior state counsel, who led a delegation consisting of the Director of Public Prosecution, Barrister Shu'aibu Sule, and the Assistant Director, Binta Ahmed, literally stripped the judge naked in the marketplace. He said the trial was "improper", "incomplete", a "mistake" and requires retrial before a more "competent magistrate".

"I am not in support of the conviction in this trial", said the attorney-general, "It is obvious that the trial was not completed before judgement was delivered but there and then the presiding magistrate went ahead and delivered a judgement", he added.

Umar, therefore, canvassed for bail for Iyan-Tama and prayed the court to order for a fresh trial of the accused. He said a retrial was needed in order to determine the case properly.

"My Lord, I humbly submit that it is only a decision of the court, properly rendered, that can legally allow the appellant exhibiting, marketing this film in a situation where he is not found to have committed the offence in question", he said.

In his submission, counsel to the filmmaker, Barrister Suleiman Abdulkadir, SAN, called on the court to quash the case, saying it was null and void as it contravened Section 36 (1) b of the 1999 constitution. "The entire proceeding is null and void and it goes with its nullity", he declared.

Abdulkadir substantiated his submission with a Supreme Court judgement in Salihu Vs Ageibon and Fahemi Vs local governmnet service commission, Oyo State. He said since the appellant (Iyan-Tama) was convicted on a two-count charge and has already spent over three months in prison as part of the sentence, there is no basis for retrial.

He said there is no need for retrial since he has served the sentence and fair hearing has been contravened in defiance to Section 36 (9) of the 1999 constitution.

Abdulkadir, however, claimed that if at all a retrial is to be ordered, the state government should pay N100 million as compensation to his client for wrongful detention.

The court, after hearing the two sides, adjourned to March 16, for ruling on the appeal.

Iyan-Tama: Woman Raped As Appeal Comes Up Tomorrow

2009-03-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is on LEADERSHIP today.

The appeal filed by a leading Hausa movie practitioner, Alhaji Hamisu Lamido Iyan-Tama, on his sentenced by a mobile court on censorship last December is billed for hearing before a Kano High Court tomorrow.

On the verge of this development, however, an attack was again launched on a house said to be under the custody of the filmmaker. The house, located at Goron Dutse area of Kano city, was invaded by night marauders who said they were looking for Iyan-Tama's family.

A family source which confirmed the story to LEADERSHIP said the house does not actually belong to Iyan-Tama but was placed under his custody. The source said the attackers might be on a follow-up attack on the immediate members of the Iyan-Tama family who vacated their house after an attack on them recently.

The marauders were said to have entered the house around 1am in the night and did not vacate until 4am in the early morning. Our source said the attackers searched from room to room asking for the actor's family but they were not in the house.

When they reached an annexed "boys quarters" of the house, the source added, the invaders saw and raped a middle aged female house- help. The source said medical test conducted on the victim has confirmed the sexual assault on her while further examinations are conducted on her.

The source, which decried what it called "trauma and psychological war against Hamisu Iyan-Tama and his family," appealed to security agencies and government to intervene in order to put a stop to "the series of attacks".

How Nollywood Came To Kano

2009-03-10T13:19:00.004-07:00

This is my interview with the recently elected state chairman of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Kano branch,MR. Okey Ogbu it was published in LEADERSHIP last wednesday. I am sad that the many websites helped themselves with the interview with next to no acknowledgement.

Please, can we meet you?

I am Okey Ogbu, the chairman Actors Guild of Nigeria, Kano chapter.

Can you explain to us how AGN came to Kano?

For quite some time now, AGN as a body has been existing in kano but it was so unfortunate that people at the helm of affairs then were not working hard to project the image of AGN in kano. That is why it seemed as if AGN was not in existence but for now we are out to ensure people understand that AGN really exists in Kano State.

When exactly did you take off?

We had our first election about ten years ago that was in 1994 but after that tenure, the association became crisis ridden because of leadership problem, they could not achieve anything. After this recent election things are now going normally. I would like to thank my council because they are working very hard, they are really committed. It is just some few months after the election things started moving smoothly again; they are really working. The result will start coming out any moment from now.

As members of AGN, and actors as well, are you shooting in Kano? If yes, can you give us examples of some of your activities?

Yes, we have been shooting in Kano and Kano as a chapter have all the rights to shoot in Kano because this is an actors’ guild and AGN is all about movie-making. We have shot some films, previously including Police at Work, Desperate Desire and more recently the Trigger.

Now we learnt of a new leadership at the guild, as the newly elected chairman, what is your ambition for the association?

I have a very tall ambition. My ambition is that I want to propel AGN so that the people will really know that artists exist in Kano. You will find out that the only popular artists here are those from other parts of the country from Lagos and Enugu. We want to show that there are equally good actors in Kano. My duty as state chairman is to project the image of the artists living in kano so that the people will know that they are hardworking and can even equal their counterparts in other parts of the country.

What is your relationship with other chapters of AGN in the country especially the movie industry in Lagos and Onitsha?

Our relationship is very cordial. Recently, immediately after our election, we went for national/state chairmen meeting in Awka which I attended. We interacted well with other officials, so our relationship with other chapters especially those in Enugu and Lagos is good and I also work closely with other state chapters.

Has any of your members been invited to Lagos or Onitsha to participate in some movies?

Yes, some of them were invited though very few of them. That is why we are trying to see that we project ourselves for the world to know we exist. You know in things like this you have to let people know you exist. We present and we want people know that there are artists in Kano.

There is a Hausa movie industry in Kano called Kannywood. Do you have any relationship with them?

Yes, we have a very close relationship with them because last year we participated in Iyan-Tama’s movie, "Tsintsiya", it is a Hausa film and there is another one which is yet to come to the market. We were invited so we have a very good close relationship with the Hausa movie industry.

How do you see the prospects of AGN in Kano?

It is very bright because of the kind of vision we have and the spirits my exco have. We have a very tall ambition; I want to tell you that by the time our tenure expires, we will live a landmark in Kano AGN.

Do you have some production companies that are currently working on some movies?

Yes, we have them; we have some of them really working.

In Kano, there is censorship especially of the Hausa films. I don’t know whether you have come into contact with the censorship authorities and whether you have any relationship with them.

We met with the censorship board last year and we are still discussing with the director general. There are some documents that he asked us to submit to his office which we have already submitted. We are still working out modalities of maintaining a cordial relationship with them. You know nobody is an island, we need each other’s support since they are working in Kano, we shall cooperate with them.

Has there been some requirement that they have demanded from you as artists or the industry?

One of the requirements is, initially they said on artists should register with them. You know it would not be possible. Our own ideas is to register with them as a body and not the artists registering themselves because they work with body and not with individuals.

How did that go?

That alone is not needed because you cannot say that. As a medical doctor, the only need is to register Nigerian medical association, the minister of health or my body will not come to you and ask you to register a member individually. In our own case, the actors guild of Nigeria is the only body to register itself with the censors board.

Has the censorship agreed with this your stand?

Actually, we have not concluded. We are still moving attempt to go back to them and see what we can do.

Did the AGN register with the Kano censorship board?

We applied. We have applied last year, the registration has not been concluded but we hope as things go new we will go back to them to conclud it.

But has those been something like submitting films for vetting or censorship?

Yes, last time when we had a script they said we should submit the script to them so that they will vet it. We agreed with that.

So far do you have any problem with the censorship board?

We don’t have any problem with the censorship board. We want a situation whereby we can work in a mutual relationship with them.

Have you ever invited Hausa film actors for your shootings?

Yes, we did and you know this is not something that comes every time. If there is anybody we need, we will invite them. We are working together, all of us are artists and as an artist you are not limited to a particular area. You take your expertise to everywhere and that is really what we want to do. In Hausa film industry if we need someone we shall invite him to act for us. If the Hausa film industry needs one of us, he can go and act for them. So that is about living in harmony and unity, working in close relationship.

What is your call on the artistes in general and your Hausa film industry counterpart?

My call to them is that when we talk about movie, movie is about projecting what is happening in the society and with them (Kannywood) and the English AGN, we can work closely to project what the society requires. I am not referring to the negative aspects of it. We want to work closely so that things can be orderly in the movie industry.

Reincarnating The Shari’ah Debate?

2009-03-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Picture courtesy: wwww.sunnewsonline.com A slightly different version of this write-up was published in LEADERSHIP today (10/3/2009).

Recently, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the former Zamfara State governor, Ahmad Sani Yarima washed their linens in public regarding their roles during the latter’s move to reintroduce the Islamic legal code, ( Shari’ah). This coincided with a Grand National conference on Shari’ah in Nigeria which commemorated 10 year anniversary of the Shari’ah reintroduction. With the twists of events, the political undertone and the discussions at the conference, in this analysis, ABDULAZIZ AHMAD ABDULAZIZ, takes a look at the possible dimension to the renewed Shari’ah agitation.

The agitation for entrenching and/or expunging of Shari’ah, the Islamic legal code within the Nigerian constitution has a long history. From the 1976 Murtala/Obasanjo constitution review committee, to the 1986 CRC populated by former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, on to the 1998 Abacha constituted CRC, the issue of the need for the constitution to give nod for the Shari’ah legal code had permeated the debates of such committees leading to unnecessary dragging and at some points, exit of some faction to protest a stand.

The much batting of eye brows then has at various times threatened the integration of the Nigeria as one supreme entity. As it appeared almost all the delegates at various conferences became at dagger drawn in support or blatant kick against the inclusion of Shari’ah in the constitution. However, the like of radical scholar, Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman of blessed memory, himself a delegate to the1976/1977 CRC had dismissed the jaw-jaw between the two major factions saying it was only a move to assert identity and avenge one’s “people”. According to the Balas, all the agitation amounted to “manipulation of religion for personal interest”.

The debate on the constitutionality or otherwise of the Shari’ah legal code since got the final nail in its coffin with the introduction of Shari’ah in Zamfara State by the then state governor Alhaji Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura exactly a decade ago. However, what seems to be rearing its head especially with the recent move by the national assembly to amend the constitution is what may be termed a battle of supremacy. While it appears that there are some elements that are yet to take solace after the Shari’ah indoctrination, the pro-Shari’ah groups are also prepared to stir the waters.

Insiders confided in LEADERSHIP that major forces within the pro-Shari’ah cycle are warming up for a centre stage with the Shari’ah agenda. Apart from the need some have for seeking more power for the Shari’ah legal code in the new constitution, others are set out to play the Shari’ah ticket for political prominence. The cornerstone of this, LEADERSHIP gathered, is the political romance coming into the limelight between the former Zamfara State governor, Ahmad Sani Yarima and the incumbent Kano state governor, Ibrahim Shekarau.

It was this Yarima/Shekarau alliance that is reportedly behind the National Conference on Shari’ah Implementation in Nigeria organised by Kano-based Centre for Promotion of Shari’ah and financed by the Kano state Government. The three day conference was held in Kano with participants from the “Shari’ah implementation states”. Most of the discussion at the conference revolved around need for greater support and enforcement for the Shari’ah. A controversial politician that he is, Ahmad Sani Yarima, who is now a member of the Senate urged Muslims in the country to take hold of the current constitution review exercise to seek for more backing for the Shari’ah in the constitution describing it as a good opportunity.

Hear him “For the implementation of shari’ah in Nigeria, the constitution has given us the power and the authority, that is why they did not challenged us in courts but we should seize this opportunity of amendment of the constitution, democracy is a game of number. If we are going to practice democracy, we should go a greater length to emulate the United States of American where each state is having its own constitution. We should practice, true federalism, we should make sure that the centre will have a coordinating constitution but each state should be allowed to have its own constitution and that constitution should be drawn by the people of that state and supported by that state. So, our Ulamas should please continue to preach to our people, let us not just down and watch to say we have Shari’ah.”

Yarima further declared “The struggle is just starting; we have not attained the position we must attain. The Shari’ah legislations passed by the states, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Niger and others is just the beginning, what we are struggling to have is an Islamic society. So, establishment of Shari’ah is just the starting point, insha Allah (God willing) we are going to be governed, totally hundred percent by the Qur’an and sunnah.” He nailed the further “We have seen that leaders of other religions in Nigeria have the objective of making sure that Shari’ah is no longer available not only in Nigeria but in the world.”

The conference also came up on the heels of a debate between former President Obasanjo and Ahmad Sani Yarima. Obasanjo who was quoted to have said that Shari’ah reintroduction was his major Achilles hill when he was on power. Obasanjo also reportedly said Shari’ah has fizzled out as he promised it would. Sani on his part took a swipe at the former President as he placed advertorial in four prominent national dailies disputing Obasanjo’s claim.

It was another opportunity for the man behind the re-introduction of the Shari’ah in Nigeria , the former Zamfara State governor, Alhaji Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura to open another can of worms on what he called his struggle to implement the Shari’ah when he chaired the opening ceremony of the Shari’ah conference in Kano . He said former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has, in various times, threatened him over his stance on the shari’a implementation. Yarima claimed that Obasanjo had mobilized armoured troops from Kaduna state with an order to shoot on sight anybody that attended the Shari’ah promulgation ceremony. “Anybody who was there would recall seeing some traces of soldiers around the square.” Yarima said.

He further confided that the then General Office Commanding the Nigerian Army in the state had met him to intimate him on an order issued to him by the then Minister of Defense, General T Y Danjuma to halt the ceremony. Yarima also said he received a phone call from the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar on the same order which Obasanjo has given before he left for America . “Atiku told me that he just saw Obasanjo off to the US and when he returned home, he got a message signed by the President asking the defence minister to the effect that he should do anything possible to stop that event” said he.

Yarima whose audience became visibly shocked by his revelations, disclosed that he replied both the army GOC and the vice president that God would protect the gathering from any insurgency. The former governor explained that the Obasanjo’s claim that Shari’ah would “fizzle out” has only reversed itself with the former president as the one that “fizzled out”.

Recounting his own ordeal with Obasanjo, the Kano state governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau said he received a phone call from Obasanjo in the wee hours of his swear-in for the second term in 2007. He alleged that the former president informed him that he (Shekarau) should ban anybody in Hisbah (Shari’ah implementation corps) uniform from the swear-in ground. Shekarau recalled exchanging words with President Obasanjo over this directive which, the governor said, was unacceptable. “He said ‘if you allow anybody in that uniform to attend the event, I will attack’ I said your excellency go ahead and attack but Allah is the best of all attackers” Shekarau recalled.

He disclosed that Obasanjo further instructed that even if the Hisbah corps attended the event they should not be allowed to participate in the ceremonial parade alongside police and other paramilitary. Shekarau enthused; “However, God in His wisdom filled up the stadium with people that even the police could not move an inch for parade, not even the national anthem could be heard.”

Earlier welcoming the conference participants, the national president of the Centre for Promotion of Shari’ah, Imam Aliyu Ibrahim Altukri who hailed the Shari’ah reintroduction under Yarima, described it as “a landmark in the post-colonial history of Islamic revivalism in Nigeria . In fact it changed the political landscape and gave politics a higher meaning and direction that raised the hope for and aspirations of Nigerian Muslims who have hitherto lost confidence in the inherited colonial legacy.”

Altukri also listed some of the challenges bedeviling the Shari’ah implementation saying; “Non execution of judgments on hudud cases, pressure and negative campaigns from the secular international community and the so-called human rights groups, misconception and mischief about the Shari’ah from local Christian organizations and even from some moderate secular minded Muslims elite politicians”. He added that “The legal battle between Kano State and the Federal Government on the legality or otherwise of establishing the Hisbah which is now before the Apex Court is a valid example of attempts to frustrate the good initiatives of the Shari’ah implementation process.”

The leader of the Centre for Promotion of Shari’ah also reminded the audience of the need to utilise the upcoming constitution review saying “The current move for constitutional amendment should be a very convenient opportunity for Muslims to find lasting solutions to those constitutional issues that have hindered the smooth transition of Shari’ah legal process.”

The current atmosphere and happenings evoke the memory of the previous constitutional review exercises and also send signal to possible opening of new page in the Shari’ah debate. With the National Assembly just about to enter into the main business of the constitution review, these recent comments may evoke the question of whether it is another invitation for another round of “the Shari’ah debate”. In any case, this may amount to awakening the sleeping dog.

NSUKKA

2009-03-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

NSUKKA

The town of old ripened by the university
The intellectual nerve of the secessionists
Where lies your heritage?
In your spreading sacred tree
Or in the precious fruits it dots out
Or is it in the rusty redden houses
That lay between your exotic thighs
If others have bronze for the Christmas show
You have gold chain to wear till theirs faded
When a place was sought for the Whiteman’s shrine
You were at hand to offer your bosom for it
Though you offered only the land but
It pocketed your old name and rape
The old famousity in you

Nsukka-Enugu Road
5:40pm 21/2/09

ENUGU

2009-03-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

ENUGU
A pride garden of nature
Where water copulate with arable land
To give birth to handsome landmass

I cherish your colourful, arousing curves
I’m erotic and
the time I saw your lavish parts
Your fellows in the Sahara
Would inhale death when they catch a glimpse of you

The coal city, are you asleep?
Your look is of numb and innocence

Enugu, a failed national capital city
Where are your kiths and kins
That you mobilised to run from your caring mum

How’re you faring, now that the mother turned a cat;
Turning her children its preys.
Are you crass fallen, forsaken or cursed
That your peers outgrow you

At your age, you need caress and lull
From your robust children
But they dumped you in rags to embrace foster ones.

It can’t help you turning a transvestite
Faking a glossy face, hiding the grotesque one.
Enugu, how did you allow your altars
To be toppled by hotel and bars?

Grey age is repentance age.
But you’re too elusive to understand

I ask for water, you give me beer
I request for food, you issue me pork
You fangs off your heritage in the abyss
And go begging spurious ones.
Enugu, Saturday 21/2/2009

ENUGU: No Churches, No Mosques, No Shrines

2009-02-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

The Beautiful Enugu landmass snapped along Nsukka-Enugu Road after Ninth mile junction.

Last Weekedn I was in Enugu (It was my first time in that part of the country). I was there enroute Nsukka to attend the 38th concocation ceremony of the famous University of Nigeria, Nsukka where the Kano state governor was, among others, conferred with an honourary doctorate degree of public administration. So I was in the team of journalists for that trip.

The journey itself was hectic (about 12 hours by road) from Kano to Enugu. I admired the greenish landscape of the area however a fascinating thing about the town is that I cant remember seeing a religious site (Church or mosque) in the whole of the city and its suburbs; only fleet of hotels.

I suppose Igbos are shedding off their once admirable cultural heritage to the embrace of western lifestyle. Enugu, I suppose, is transforming akin to the America's "godless" society. My submission is that this is one of the onsluaght of globalisation especially for Igbos that always want to copy the 'whitemen'. It was such a memorable experiencing going to Enugu. I still try to see if I can put down a sort of a travelogue. However, two poems I composed might have capture my impression.

The Shining Shawl of Shekarau

2009-02-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

The highest reward of man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes of it.
-John Ruskin (1819-1900)

With promptness and swiftness, awards and accolades, of different sorts and substance, are literally racing to the gleaming cap of the Kano state governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau. Like a student who receives his final prize at the end of his academic pursuit, or a farmer that reaps after the torturous months of labour, Governor Shekarau seems to be yielding the fruits of his five year administration only in recent time with cream of distinguished awards.

The above assertion underscores the fleet of recognitions and awards received by the governor especially from the year 2008 running to this day. Governor Shekarau has been accruing chunk of awards and ironically like the axiomatic saying that prophets are not valued at home, the stream of awards Shekarau gets are mainly flooding from outside the state. However, they are only testimonials to his lauds achievements that send waves across the country and beyond. Thanks to governor’s populist policy!
Initially, at the beginning of his administration in 2003, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau pledged to make human development the cornerstone of his administration. Though the policy has paid to certain extent through its quasi invisible impacts, however, the second term resolve to squarely face the infrastructure could not be more yielding. As a journalist observed, had Shekarau not got the second term, his tenure would not be as remarkable and memorable compared to those of say, Audu Bako and Abubakar Rimi, in terms of infrastructural projects

Unarguably, however, the human development policy of the Shekarau administration has garnered so much popularity and carved a niche for the governor especially from those directly affected by that policy. Notable among these are the 9000 Hisbah guards, the 5000 street cleaners, the 400 health workers and thousands of teachers who were all engaged by his administration. Equally, beneficiaries are civil servants and students, the former for enhanced remunerations and allowances and the latter for incorporating certain programmes for scholarship benefits that were hitherto not been paid and general review of the amount.

With other achievements spanning all the key areas of development including education, healthcare, commerce and industries, sports, agriculture, rural development and general infrastructural development, Governor Shekarau has rang his bell among his counterparts hence his many honours and accolades.

Some time back, Forum of Political Parties in Nigeria (FPRN), offered the governor an award, entitled: “Democracy Defender Award.” Presenting the award, to the governor, the forum’s chairman, Mr. Maxi Okwu, said Shekarau ultimately “deserve the award, in view of his uncommon records in the annals of Kano state.” In the same succession, the Security Watch Africa at its 5th Annual Africa Awards Night presented Shekarau with “2008 Best Governor Award”.

According to the Chairman of Board of Trustees of the Security Watch Africa, Dr. Ahmadu Abubakar, the prestigious award was conferred on Shekarau, because, “he is a governor whose administration remains one of the best in the country, especially in the areas of implementing health programmes, rural transformation, education and good road network in the state.”

It was not the end as the Northern Youths Awareness Forum honoured Governor Shekarau with the award of Best Performing Governor in the North in a colourful ceremony held recently in Kaduna. The Danmasanin Kano, Alhaji Dr. Yusuf Maitama Sule who chaired the event remarked passionately; “You all know that, it has never been in my character to praise-sing anybody, let alone politicians. But I am obliged to do so because of the leadership style of Shekarau, especially in good governance and the delivery of dividends of democracy.”

As you read this piece, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, is being honoured today by the famous, University of Nigeria Nsuka with an honorary doctorate degree in public administration recognition of his meticulous achievements and remarkable leadership trait. Yet, this is not the first as the governor was previously conferred with doctorate degrees by a Beninese university and a Malaysian university last year but humble Shekarau preferred to keep it to himself; unsung.

The International University College of Technology Twintech based in Kuala Lumpur had earlier conferred an honorary Doctor of Science on the governor. In a letter addressed to governor Shekarau and signed by the university’s Vice Chancellor, YB. Senator Prof. Datuk Dr. Ismail md. Salleh, the institution said that the decision to honour Gov. Shekarau followed a recommendation of the governor by the university’s Nigerian partners, Usmaniyya Global Agency Limited.

The letter read in part: “We wish to inform you that you have been highly recommended by our education consultants in Nigeria… to be awarded an honorary doctorate degree by our institution. This is in response and appreciation of patronage from Nigeria. And to that effect, we ask our Education Consultant to recommend outstanding individuals who have contributed greatly towards the educational and general well being of their society in Nigeria” the letter further explained.
All these, as aforesaid, are not without reasons; one fact about governor Shekarau admitted by both his friends and foes is his workaholic attitude. A little wonder then that in most, if not all capacities he served, Shekarau has received applause for his dedication and exceptional commitment. He is a proud recipient of many “thank you” letters from distinguished bodies and personalities since his time as a classroom teacher. A personal experience of this writer may suffice to show how workaholic Governor Shekarau is.
A certain political intrigues evolved Kano around October last year which also coincided with the Muslim festive of the Eid el fitr, the crisis were so raging that the governor was reportedly booed when he attended a tafseer closing ceremony two days to the Sallah day. Naturally, security was beefed up on the Sallah day and coincidentally, that very day, a sound clip was aired on the Hausa service of the Voice of America where Mallam Shekarau was quoted to have blamed General Muhammadu Buhari as been in the forefront of some political tricks to destabilize the Shekarau administration.
The political barometer in Kano was up that festive week and the issues became the talk of the town. This writer got to have an appointment to see the governor to clarify some of the insinuations especially as there was no statement from the government on the gimmick situation. Surprisingly, with the tense political atmosphere in the state and with the sallah celebration still in the air, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau has, on that Thursday, buried himself in a pile of files, working in his office!
The antecedents of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau leave no one in doubt as to his personal attributes and attitude to work. A man whose family upbringing was reinforced by his training as a teacher, Shekarau, his confidents say, is a cultured man and highly religious. Though, modestly educated in the western line, with his highest qualification being a post graduate Certificate Course on Guidance and Counseling from Bayero University Kano, Shekarau exhibits brilliant output both as an academic and education administrator.
A highlight of his formal education pursuit shows that little Shekarau began his learning journey at Gidan Makama Primary School in Kano City before proceeding to Aminu Kano Commercial College for his West African School Certificate and Royal Society Arts London. Shekarau proceeded to the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained bachelor of education degree in Mathematics.
For his National Youth Service, Malam Shekarau taught Mathematics at Madonna Boys High School Etiti. Upon his retun to Kano state, he assumed teaching post at Government Technical College Wudil as Mathematics teacher in 1978. In a teaching career that spanned 13 years, Shekarau held the post of principal at five secondary schools across the old Kano state.
Though his good behavioural trend manifested since his young age as a student at Aminu Kano Community Commercial College where, for five year running, he won the prize of the “best behaved student”, his qualities of leadership have only came of age during his stay at the All Nigeria Conference Of Principals Of Secondary School (ANCOPSS) where he served at various post becoming a two time National President of the association.

As Shekarau left classroom, he was promoted as educational administrator serving as Deputy Director of Education in-charge of Bichi Zonal Education Area, Kano State, from December, 1992 to August, 1993 and later Director Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Education Headquarters before he rose to become permanent secretary/Director general in various government in ministries. Shekarau retired after he was demoted to a classroom teacher in 2001 and consequently joined politics.

One lesson to be learnt from the life and struggle of Malam Ibrahim Shekrau is that hardwork always pays. After all, it was Homer that says in his famous seminal work, The Iliad “Of men that have a sense of honour, more comes through alive than slain, but from those who flee comes neither glory nor any help”. Therefore, moving on in service to the people, always has its startling reward here and hereafter.
A patron of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, live member of the All Nigeria Conference Of Principals Of Secondary School (ANCOPSS) and member, Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mallam Shekarau holds several other social responsilities. Married to three wives with children Governor Shekarau celebrates his birthday every 5th Day of November.

Review of Adam Zango's Satire on Censorship and his Incarceration

2009-02-14T03:58:00.000-08:00

This piece was published i think some ime in September last year in an edition of LEADERSHIP WEEKEND. However, due to the increase in similar satiric songs apparently against Kano state government and the censorship authorities in the state(of recent is Naziru A. Hausawa's Girgiza kai, I decide to post it here:

How Adam Zango's Satiric Song Waves in Kano

Bismillahi Allah ni zani wake mugun bawan nan
Jaki mai harbinnann ya fake da cin addinin nan

Remember Adam A. Zango, the producer of Bahaushiya musical album? Remember that Zango was arrested, trialed and detained in jail for releasing Bahaushiya which was considered too erotic and disrespectful of Hausa cultural values. Ever since his arrest, it is rumored that the hitherto artist of modest profile has his fame risen to unpredictable level. Unconfirmed accounts have it that Zango’s Bahaushiya has sold in thousands and even smuggled to Kano where it was initially banned.

It was said that Adam A. Zango (aka Usher) made no little fortune while serving that jail term and a source said he has used that opportunity to help many fellow inmates. That is why Zango, upon his release, was severally reported to have described the incidence as befitting opportunity that accorded him so many things, among which are popularity and fortune.

After his release, Adam A. Zango left Kano for Kaduna , his hometown to keep with migration trend that trailed the Kannywood. From there, Zango had churn out some blaring lyrics in audio mode. However, non of his post-jail songs seem to generate more attention and interest than his most recent produce, kan-mai-uwa-da-wabi, a satiric song of some sort of 16:17s length.

In the post-censorship conflict Kannywood, a lyric by Maryam A. Baba was thought to have carpet all the happenings in the industry and proved to be a successful sarcasm on the censorship authorities. Even with disclaimer from the artistes that composed the song, it continued to be considered as weapon by those in the Kannywood for its indirect censure.

Adam Zango’s song beginning with lines quoted above revolved around his prison experience, the near death blow the industry suffered due to the emergency placed on it and, sarcastic portrayal of the proponents of censorship and the government in general. On his incarceration Zango enthused that:

Barau nine yaronnan
Ban mace ba gain da rayi na
Sarka zancen banza
Akwan a tashi yaro ango ne

Here the artist dares that incarceration is not the end of life as he explained, “here I am alive, I didn’t die” as he added that jail term is nothing since it would come and pass. In the following lines he hails the incarceration for bringing goodness to him as he condemns the rationale/basis for the arrest, as he says:

To Barau ka kama ni
Kuma kace ka kulle ni
Karshe ma ka daure ni
Ni na ji dadin daurinnan
Shi ba daurin Allah ba
Ba daurin Manzon Allah ba
Ba kuma daurin musulunci ba

Despite faulting the imbroglio as irreligious, irrational and unethical, yet Zango admonish it as he said “I have enjoyed the jail”, this enjoyment probably points at how in no time he has risen in profile and wealth. For this, and for expecting of repeating the feat, Zango dares the authority again:

Barau in dai daurinka ne
Ka sa alkali ya daure ni
Ko alkali ya yanka ni
Ko alkali ya harbe ni
Karshe shi ne sisi-kwandem

The above verse is very daring and confronting as the artist shows that he is ready to pay the price for all his actions, his trend of songs, that is. According to Zango, this time around he is not only ready for remand in prison but death, “let the judge slaughter me, let the judge shot me”, he said.

Zango has also reacted on the long time criticism on his person and his like, of being a stranger, not indigene of Kano state. He admitted that he is a stranger saying that all the inhabitants of the world are strangers on transit to the hereafter adding that whoever claims of indigeneship is blindly embracing the merriment of worldly life.

When he turned to the situation of the Hausa film industry, Kannywood, in Kano , Zango espouses:

Musulmi har dubu dari
Gwamnatin ga duk ta tsaida su
Wasu na cida iyaye wasu na
Makarantar bokon nan
Wasu na neman aure
Wasu abinci za su ci wa kansu

Allah ga kukanmu
Ya Allah bamu yafe ba
Ya Allah bamu kyale ba
Kuma ya Allahu ka saka min

On the estimate provided by Adam A. Zango here, one hundred thousand practitioners in the industry were affected by the logjam in the industry. Those thousands of people, according to him, have a burden saddled on them for, “Some fed their parents, others sponsor their schooling, others are courting for marriage while some others take care of themselves”.

He described this effect as unpardonable and supplicates God to pay those involved in equal measure. Zango described the restriction on the industry as injustice because, according to him:

An ce mata da maza
Wasan Hausa yinsa illa ne
To siyasa da ake yi a hade
Mata da maza cunkus

This comparison, that if males and females should not mingle in film, they should not do so at political meetings and campaigns, is typical of the proponents of the entertainment industry ever sine their relationship with the ruling politicians in the state turned sour.

The Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN), Kano state chapter has once issued a communiqué asking Kano state governor to sack all his female appointees and stop women from participating in political gatherings if at all he wanted to curtail the mingling of the two sexes.

Adam A. Zango’s kan-mai-uwa-da-wabi is now making wave in Kano as observation by our correspondent shows. Operators of computer download spots are making money with it as they charge N20 per download on phone and MP3 gadgets.

It has since been registered among the subjects of discussion in discussion circles (majalisa). While some applause Zango’s temerity, others criticize him vehemently to the extent of mongering rumour that Zango was arrested on orders of authorities in Kano .

One account has it that Zango had escaped an attempt of arrest by members of the Hisbah corps earlier in the week in a prominent hotel in the state metropolis. While he is said to have escaped, some starlets that were with him were said have been captured.

Our correspondent got in touch with Adam A. Zango who said that he is at present in Kaduna . “I am cooling off up here” said Zango who explained that because of the Ramadhan fast, he has restricted his movements.

In his reactions, Mallam Abubakar Rabo Abdulkarim, the Director General, Kano state Censorship Board said he would not engage in any exchange with the artist. “It is unfortunate that, as a stakeholder, he went and did this thing. However, I cannot consider it as directly on me since nowhere has he mentioned my name” he said.

Mallam Rabo adds “What can I say? Though it is malicious and derogatory, but being a personal attack, I will not engage him. Had it been it is official or he contravened the laws of this board that is when appropriate action will be taken”.

1 Dies, 18 Escape As Building Collapses In Kano

2009-02-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is my news report published in today's paper page 4. It is alarming how cases of building collapse still persist in the country despite measures said to be taken by the concern authorities/bodies. More intriguing is the fact that most of the buildings involved are owned by corporate bodies including banks and other wealthy individuals.

1 Dies, 18 Escape As Building Collapses In Kano

It was another building collapse yesterday as two-storey building under construction partially collapsed killing one while 18 others narrowly escaped. The Kano State Fire Service, which confirmed the incident said the ugly incident occurred along Murtala Muhammed Way by Tafawa Balewa Road in Kano metropolis.

Narrating the incident, the director of the state fire service, Alhaji Umaru Muhammad, said one labourer simply identified as Kingsley died while men of the fire fighting outfit rescued the 18 labourers working on the site yesterday morning.

The fire service boss said most of the rescued workers who were trapped in the building have sustained various injuries. Muhammad explained that a distress call was put across to them after the collapsed building trapped one of the labourers. He said their prompt response helped in rescuing the 18 labourers that survived.

According to him, his men conveyed Kinsley to hospital and when he was pronounced dead, his remains was handed over to Nassarawa Police Division.

The director explained that their assessment showed that the collapse of the building may not be unconnected with the use of substandard materials used in the construction. He said like other cases of building collapse, use of substandard materials in found to be a chief cause.

When our reporter visited the site of the building, only a security guard and one other person were seen. They told the reporter that the site engineer and other labourers were at the Metro Division of the police. LEADERSHIP gathered that the building belongs to Megatech Limited, an IT company.

However, the Kano police command has countered the position of the state fire service, saying the building did not collapse and it was only one carpenter who was removing flanks on the second floor lintel that slipped and hooked by the scaffolds.

The police spokesman SP Baba Muhammad said, "It was not a building collapse, whoever claims that 18 people were trapped, got wrong information, because it was only this ill-fated carpenter at the site."

SP Muhammad said it was the police who rescued the man when the incident happened and there were nobody but the carpenter at the construction site. "He was the only person at the site, and we removed him and deposited his corpse at Muratala Muhammed Hospital," he explained.

20 Injured As Youth Clash With Shekarau’s Entourage

2009-02-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

This is my report published in today's edition of LEADERSHIP (front page, conntinued in second page).

20 Injured As Youth Clash With Shekarau’s Entourage

At least 20 people were said to have sustained different degrees of injury as supporters of the Kano State governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau engaged a group of opposition youth in free for all fight at the weekend.

Shekarau's supporters were on the entourage of the governor who was said to be heading to Kurna area of Kano municipality for a wedding fatiha when the bloody incident ensued .

When the governor's convoy was passing, some of the youth, mainly commercial motorcyclist, around the area known as 'yan shayi, were said to have shouted disapproval phrases such as "ba ma yi" (down with you!) and "Karya ne!" (It's a lie!), at the governor.

Unknown to them, there were three vehicles including two buses and a car at the tail of the governor's convoy conveying party supporters. The three vehicles were said to have stopped and engaged the youth in a fight with local weapons.

When LEADERSHIP visited the scene of the incident at Katsina road by Hajj Camp junction, pieces of glass from motorcycles' lamps and other parts were seen all over the place as survivors narrate their ordeals.

An eye witness, Hassan Rabiu Gwammaja told our reporter that about 20 people sustained injuries even as almost 30 motorcycles were destroyed. Gwammaja denied that the governor was booed saying when some youth within the vicinity shouted "karya ne!" They were referring to a friend that passed on a motorcycle. He, therefore, described the incident as a planned injustice meted out to them.

Another eye witness who escaped the attack, Shu'aibu Mohammed said "We were all sitting here when the governor was passing, after the governor's motorcade there comes three vehicles following the convoy including a bus, a Toyota Model F and one VW Golf car. The vehicles stopped and the passengers suddenly came out with machetes and other weapons to attack us."

Mohammed explained that the governor's supports descended on them with some saying that they should be killed. "They shouted 'kill them', 'set the bikes on fire' as they follow us with their weapons. None of us here could retaliate as we have no any weapon being at our workplace," said Mohammed.

However, one of those who were not so lucky, Auwal Sa'idu (aka boy) showed our reporter two injuries that he suffered as a result of the fall out. Sa'idu who sells provisions in a kiosk at the area said he suffered a machete cut in his hand while he also sustained another injury on his foot while trying to escape the scene through a nearby cemetery.

Eye witnesses said the thugs that followed the governor's convoy were fully armed locally hence they attacked the youth with different local weapons. One person was said to have lost his finger while another escaped with his ear slagging from his neck as a result of machete laceration.

When contacted on the issue, the director of press and public relations to the governor, Malam Sule Ya'u Sule said he was not aware of the incident. According to him, even if anything like that happened it must be after the governor has passed as he was with the governor at that time. Sule explained that the incident might be a clash between politicians which, he said, is trivial and normal.

The Kano police command, through its public relations officer SP Baba Muhammad denied knowledge of the incident.

Interractive Session with Kano state Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau

2009-01-04T08:17:00.000-08:00

Kano State is of many parts, a cosmopolitan in composition as well as dynamic and heterogeneous in human and political mix. The state governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, hosted the state-based journalists to an end of the year media lunch last Tuesday where he spoke on many issues, including the development roadmap for the state, the dilemma of the former EFCC boss, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and a host of other issues. Abdulaziz Ahmad Abdulaziz chronicles the interaction:

On the new course for the government?

We set for ourselves an examination syllabus for this second term in five major areas. We are going to revisit our internally generated revenue and alhamdulillah, a year and a half into the second tenure, even though we are still far away from our target, we have moved quite progressively. We spent almost a year assessing the machinery of revenue generation in Kano. We even recruited consultants who are specialised in revenue matters. In the end, we engaged the services of one of the best outfits in financial markets in the country that has proved itself in other parts of the country. They were here with us for a couple of months. Within the last four or five months, we have witnessed an increase in internally generated revenue by more than 100 per cent. Our hope is to do even more this new year.

It is interesting to know that it is not the issue of introducing new taxes for citizens; it is just the issue of proper and accountable collection of collectable taxes. There was no new tax introduced. Through the advice of experts and our commitment to change the situation, we have improved. We shall make more progress in that area. We are satisfied with the rate we are going, but we are not satisfied with the achievements yet. We have a very long way to go, but we are making very good progress.

Education

The second area out of the five major tasks we set for ourselves is quality education. During the first tenure, we did a lot of input virtually in every aspect of our education sector. I did not know that we had so much impact until I was privileged to read a specialised report by the UNDP which reported that within the last four years, no government in the country, including the federal government, had made as much input to education as Kano. The records are there for you to cross-check.

That notwithstanding, we still felt we needed to do more in education. What we are doing this year is not like the tradition of the past years. Apart from touching bits of every sector of education, we said we will single out specific schools and address their issues. You would recall that in the 2008 budget, we mentioned, six schools: GGC Dala, GSS Jogana, Science College Dawakin Tofa, Science College Dawakin Kudu, GSS Gwarzo and GSS Rano. These are the six. Go to any of them now and you will see work in progress. We have committed hundreds of millions to each of them. Our target is that after renovating these schools in the next 10 to 15 years, they will not complain about shortage of transport facilities, furniture, sporting facilities, unequipped laboratories or libraries. They will not complain of hostels, the staff quarters or administrative problem. They will not complain of anything. The target is that by the end of our tenure, we are going to have a minimum of thirty schools that will be uplifted to the level of excellence.

In 2009 we are going to do the same thing. We are going to pick five or six schools and commit millions of naira to do the same. Other things in education are going on: recruitment of teachers, building of classrooms here and there, buying of books and laboratory equipment, these are daily things that we continue doing.

Agriculture and Food production

The third task we set for ourselves is integrated agriculture. We have gone very far, although the results are yet to be seen,we have reached a final agreement with an agency that specialises in rice production in Malaysia, Magnitech. They are already here. We are starting with a pilot scheme of 200 hectares; thereafter, we will expand to about 3000 hectares. Our target is that by the grace of God we are going to be one of the highest rice-producing states in the country.

It is on record that Kano has the highest number of dams, about 17 of them, including those under the jurisdiction of the federal government. Since their creation, they have not been rehabilitated for several decades. They require rehabilitation. The volume of water there has reduced by more than two third, so we commit ourselves to reconstruct all the dams. Experts have been invited from Malaysia and the study of the dam is currently going on. We are hopeful that within the year, contracts will be awarded for rehabilitation of most of the major dams for better services which will enable them to accommodate higher volumes of water that will be used for irrigation purposes and will improve our water treatment as well.

Information and communication technology:

The next area of priority is Information Technology. This too gone quite far. We hope the next couple of weeks will witness the commissioning of the first and biggest ever ICT park in Nigeria. We have concluded arrangements with experts and investors to renovate Ado Bayero house by Nassarawa gate. The old building has been standing there since early 80s. It is going to be dedicated to Information technology. We have many foreign experts and companies that have already registered their intentions to come and take part in the park.

Youth and women’s empowerment:

The fifth and last area is the issue of women and youth empowerment. A lot is being done and the final blueprint is being tidied up. So far, in 2008 we have graduated about 2000 to 3000 youths. This is much lower than our target, our target is 10,000 per year but for 2008, we have not perfected the blueprint. Our hope is that beginning from 2009, we are going to achieve our benchmark. What we are trying to do is to go beyond the traditional training in welding or computer. Now we are bringing the agriculture component for our youths in the rural areas.

You can’t bring a youth from, say Riruwai, to train him in computer whereby nobody will patronise his business in Riruwai. You are simply telling him that he has to come and live here, but if you train him on what he knows best; in farming, showing him some modern ways of farming, modern ways of irrigation, giving him some support, some inputs, you are empowering him and at the end, you give him some capital to begin. This is what we are trying to integrate now. All that is being done are urban-based training scheme. If you train him on welding, on urban base, repairs of electronics, you are asking him to remain an urban man. Most of these skills are largely urban-based. So we are now moving out to identify others in the rural areas. We will recruit hundreds of thousands of youths. The same thing as the women. We are doing this jointly with the local governments.

Infrastructure and urban Renewal:

You are a witness to the roads we are constructing. We just gave an approval and if not for the Christmas and New Year breaks, we wanted to flag off the expansion into three lanes of BUK road. The contract is already awarded. In two weeks time the contractor will resume work. From Gidan Murtala to Kabuga; the whole of BUK road will be reconstructed. It will cost us N3.7bn we are reconstructing Zoo road into three lanes with street lights. Also from Kano Club roundabout through Club road out to Sani Abacha Way, the other one is the Karkasara road through Darmanawa; from one end of School of Nursing. It will link to the bye-pass on Zaria road. Each costs within the range of N3bn to N3.5bn. These have already been awarded. We are only waiting for the workers to come back from their New Year break to commence work.

We also awarded the construction of an international conference centre. That too will take off after the New Year celebrations. It is to be sited at Audu Bako Secretariat. It will have a theater with a 1000-seater capacity. We will have an amphitheatre, and there will be an array of committee rooms for meetings and several other facilities, so that meetings and conferences will be held there.

Our urbanisation project is in the offing. I told you last year that we want to go beyond having Kano metropolitan as our only pride. We identified four or five major towns which we want to transform to rural-urban cities before we leave. That of Gwarzo has already been awarded. We will attend to Gwarzo, Dambatta, Wudil, Rano and Gezawa.

The issue of successor and political future after leaving office

This is a question that many ask. These are issues to be decided by Almighty God. "Everything is tied to God.

One thing I can assure you of is that we will make sure due process is observed in the process of nominating our candidate for 2011. Since we are not used to godfatherism in Kano, we are not going to introduce godfatherism.

I always tell my political collegues, honour in politics is not necessarily limited to an elective office. Mallam Aminu Kano, for example, was never a governor nor was he a president, but today if all the 16 of us that were governors in Kano, military and civilian, are placed on one side of the scale and Mallam Aminu on the other, he will outweigh all of us.

This is the kind of role we all look forward to play whether in elective office or outside, so it is not only when I am elected into party XYZ that I will be an honourable party man. That is why I said I came into politics for good.

The situation in ANPP and the future of the party:

I always feel proud when any office, from councillor is declared vacant and I see hundreds of people troop to contest. This is a sign of acceptability of the party. If we are not a good party and have no honour, we should be out scouting for people to contest. The more candidates we have, the more messages we are sending to everybody that the party is alive and up. One thing I can assure is that the game of who gets what will be sincerely, honestly and transparently played so that nobody will impose himself or be imposed on others.

I can’t agree that we have three camps in ANPP. We have people grumbling within the party. If you are to use this on the PDP, how many camps will PDP have?

Buhari has never told anybody that he has left ANPP. As far as I am concerned, he is still a bonafide member of ANPP. If you don’t want to be part of the party, what hell are you spending your money going to court they would have left the party and go. I want to assure you that all hands are on deck to address these issues of the ANPP.

We are not scared of the huge size of the PDP. I think Kano should be the last state to be so scared. Where were we in 2003 with 1 House of Representatives member and 5 state Assembly members, with 6 local governments, with no talaka. As at the time of the election all the local governments’ chairmen and councillors were PDP. Yet ANPP made it in 2003. So it is not the issue of size of a party. In 2003 all the Obasanjos were there, all the Kwankwasos were there yet we emerged.

The Jos crisis:

The Jos crisis is most unfortunate. By the grace of God, we will put behind us all crises. The ordinary citizens on the streets of Nigeria behave in accordance with the conduct of most of his leaders, whether religious or political. This is what we are trying to change now. In Kano, we don’t encourage party thuggery. Nobody is interested in doing that. The youths that engage in such things are getting fewer. Even the people that engage them are far fewer. The secret of this is societal reorientation.

This is why I always argue. Even the rule of law Mr. President is talking about is societal reorientation. It is not in the books, though the law books are there.

The Ribadu saga:

I want to say this with all sense of humility. A year and a half ago, Ribadu was parading us as thieves. He was giving headlines that he was going to prosecute X and Y and that all governors are thieves. Obasanjo was the only clean man, as far as Ribadu was concerned. He said it himself! We are not putting these words to him. He was challenged and he said he had checked and found nothing wrong. May be his checks were selective. Today he is being accused of the same thing. When I saw him on the pages of newspapers trying to explain himselfs I said how I wish I could see his face to ask how he feels now. Honestly as a Muslim, I do not wish any bad thing to anybody. I have forgotten and forgiven Ribadu.

My only interpretation of this is that he is going through the process of teaching by Almighty God. That you show love for others as you do show love for yourself is the message of Islam. The area I am most disgusted is his failure to defend himself. He used to argue ‘EFCC is inviting you, why not come?, come and answer the questions’ that is why he used to say EFCC is a glorified police station. Your petition come, you get invited to come and explain why you hiding around. Maybe he knows what they were doing. They lock you up before they ask the questions. I am trying to explain why we are having crises in Nigeria. So long as the leaders are hypocritical, we are going nowhere.

NB: Published in LEADERSHIP today

Filmmaker, Iyantama Sentenced To 15-Month Imprisonment

2008-12-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

Popular filmmaker Alhaji Hamisu Lamido Iyantama was remanded by a Kano court yesterday. This is the story of the court session I attended yesterday, the report is published in today's edition of LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Page 4. Picture from www.ibrahim-sheme.blogspot.com

In a bizarre manner that left most of the people in the courtroom in sheer disbelief, a mobile court in Kano yesterday sentenced a famous film producer and actor Alhaji Hamisu Lamido Iyantama to 15 months imprisonment with a fine of N300, 000.

Mild drama ensued during the court proceeding of mobile court trying the censorship board cases, when the presiding judge, Magistrate Muhtari Ahmad kicked against the request of counsels from both the prosecuting and defence sides to adjourn the court proceedings for a witness to testify before the court and went to read his verdict of the case.

At the mention of the case, which began at about noon , the defence counsel Barrister Mohammed Inuwa Musa told the court that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Railway Police Station was billed to appear before the court to certify claim of the accused that he (the accused) was at the railway premises on August 11, 2008 to attend the court session.

However, the counsel told the court that the DPO could not attend the sitting as he was out of town. The DPO had, however, delegated his Divisional Crimes Officer (DCO), with other officers to represent him. But the prosecuting counsel, Sanusi Ado Ma'aji disagreed with the defence counsel. After an exchange of opinions, the two sides reached a consensus that a new day be fixed for the DPO to appear if the magistrate could not take the delegation as representing the DPO.

But to the surprise of all the sides, the presiding judge, turned down their requests and went on to read from his prepared verdict.

He said, the case is "strict liability" and that the charges against the filmmaker required that he proved the prosecuting team wrong beyond reasonable doubt or face the wrath of the law.

Magistrate Ahmad further explained that the court had struck out all applications and annexed affidavit of the accused person including a stall proceeding motion filed before the court. He described the arguments from the defence counsel as "folly to delay justice".

According to him the court would not tolerate play in the proceedings adding "justice delayed is justice denied. Justice is three way traffic; justice to the accused, justice to the state and justice to the prosecution."

The judge later handed over a document to the accused, Hamisu Iyantama, and said "this is a permit issued to you by the censorship board in 2005. Have you received or got the same permit for the year 2006, 2007 and 2008?"

When the accused tried to explain the magistrate shut him up saying "answer me, yes or no?"

It was when the judge moved to hand over some copies of the accused movies, Tsintsiya, that the matter took a new turn. When the judge as asked Iyantama to identify the films and clarify whether the same movies was censored by the Kano State Censorship Board, counsel to the accused person Barrister Musa opposed the judge saying that was against the law.

"You can't do that since you said you are delivering the ruling why are you asking him. You are behaving as if you are on the prosecuting side," said Musa.

However, Magistrate Ahmad, unperturbed, continued reading the ruling with a frowned face.

The action of the magistrate instigated the defence counsel who stood up and bitterly challenged the judge. "This is not justice. This is not a court of law. I cannot stay to hear this judgment." Said the furious lawyer as he walked out of the court.

Reading his judgment in the absence of the defence counsel the magistrate said "I Muhtari Ahmad Chief Magistrate and presiding magistrate of Censorship Board Mobile court 2, hereby sentenced you, Hamisu Lamido Iyantama, to a term of one year imprisonment or to pay a fine of N10, 000 for violating section 16 of Censorship Board Laws regulation 2001 and punishable under the same section.

"You are also sentenced to three months imprisonment and also pay a fine of N300, 000 for violating section 81 of Censorship Board Regulations 2001 and punishable under section 112 of the same law. The sentences to run concurrently."

The magistrate added that "Whoever is not satisfied can appeal to High Court within 30 days of this judgement."

After the ruling, Hamisu Iyantama was conveyed by men of the Nigerian Prisons Service led by ASP Garba Adamu Gwangwazo to Goron Dutse prison in Kano municipality. It would be recalled that, Iyantama, who contested the last governorship election in Kano was arrested for releasing an uncensored film and plotting a film production company not registered by Kano state Censorship Board.

Hausa People are Not Conservative –Prof. Last

2008-12-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

Prof. Murray Last needs no introduction especially among scholars and students of the history of the central Sudan. He came to Nigeria in 1961 to study the impact of Islam on the lives of the people of the Northern Nigeria as part of his PhD research, becoming the first person to get a PhD of the University of Ibadan. Prof. Last later switched to solely study the sprawling Sultanate of the Fulani that existed in the 1880s. The outcome of that PhD thesis was later published into a book called The Sokoto Caliphate which remains an authoritative sourcebook on the Caliphate down to this day. Prof. Last has a long tie with Northern Nigeria where he spent most part of his teaching life that spanned about half a century. The historian later returned home to take up another teaching job at the University College London before his retirement. Prof. Last metamorphosed to become a medical anthropologist where he authored many controversial scholarly articles on the health and healing power among the Hausa people. PROF. MURRAY LAST was recently in Kano, Nigeria and I had the honour of interviewing him; the Emeritus Professor bares his mind on sundry issues in this interview:

Sir, you are now on retirement after many years of teaching and research. How is life in retirement especially as an academic who was so much in love with the profession?

Well to be honest I get spoilt by my friends in Nigeria. People helped me in so many ways, so I actually come down here to see people and greet people so in that sense it is nice. I also try writing quite a lot from the history of Nigeria; the pre-colonial history of Nigeria, but also on some other things like place names or on the lives of people that have done history here. It is quite a busy time and I have some students who I don’t supervise but I help by reading their works.

Talking about the Sokoto caliphate which you are much known for, how did you develop interest in the Caliphate?
I started this work way back in 1961 when Nigeria was newly independent. And because it was very exciting and one of the largest political systems in Africa in the pre-colonial period was, of course, the Sokoto Caliphate. The idea was to understand how it worked and how the future of Nigerian administration would develop, this was in 1961 and it was not very exciting.

When you came to Nigeria, did you come with the knowledge of the Caliphate, the Sokoto caliphate and to conduct research on it or what?I knew I wanted to do research on Northern Nigeria and on the Islamic dimension but my research was shaped by my professor, Prof. HFC Smith at that time and when I stayed in Sokoto it was clear about Prof. Smith and to me the Wazirin Sokoto [Waziri Junaidu] was the most interesting person historically in Sokoto.

What were the startling things you came to find out through your researches on the Sokoto Caliphate?

The main theme of the book was to try to show how a bulk of scholars and leaders in Sokoto tried to maintain the Islamic values of the Jihad. Those values were always been challenged by the soldiers who fought the Jihad, the mujahidun majority were not willing to keep the Sharia’ah law. So in sum, the most striking thing was first the attempt to maintain the values of the Jihad over a hundred years that it survived but also to see what problem violence in the form of war had actually created other values. Because it depends on the soldiers to fought wars and Malamai (scholars) and students are not very good at fighting.

Your book, The Sokoto Caliphate, which is your magnum opus is becoming extinct. It is scarce and even out of print, considering its importance on the socio-political history of northern Nigeria, are you making any effort to reprint it?

The first thing is to make it translated into Hausa because I want to make it available at a cheap price probably N500 so that anyone if they wanted could buy it. In a sense it is my return present to the Nigerians who helped me over the last forty, nearly fifty years. The English version, I will probably reprint it next year, I think. I will similarly sell it at a cheap price, so again it is available.

Usually, when historians grow wings they try to switch to anthropology as you did. What motivated you into the anthropological study of the Hausa people?

The initial switch was that I realized that with the new medical schools starting first at ABU then elsewhere, but the students and their doctors knew nothing about how ordinary Hausa patients understood how their body works. So I moved away from the politics of the caliphate into the more pressing need of healing and health among ordinary talakawa (the poor), and that is what I did effectively.

What were the outcomes of your works on medical anthropology?

I don’t know how strong the outcomes but a lot of people in the health works have read quite a lot of them. I am much more interested in traditional health and healing rather than in biomedicine and such like and the current trend, frankly, is to be interested in biomedicine but there still remain the fundamental problem at the grassroots, out at the countryside where people have to get themselves better, somehow because the local governments and states governments are providing the drugs in a way that might be useful. In particular in the field of mental health, traditional medicine is probably as effective as biomedical psychiatric.

You have done some works on the early settlements of Kano and also on the external relations of such Hausa states like Katsina and Kano. Can you shed some lights on the origin of some Hausa states?

The real question is what is the early history of the area we call Hausaland. It is almost certain that many of the people who use to live here past 500 to 600 years ago did not speak Hausa. I always say this; it was only in the North West towards northern Katsina, Gawo and Gaya. So part of the interest is trying to work out who was leaving here what language was spoken and perhaps the most interesting dimension I just written, and handed over to my friends here, a paper on the pre-Hausa place names in Kano to see if we can work out from the old traditional place names, what might be the languages before everyone could speak in Hausa.

Talking of the place names, most of the names of places usually originated from the names of some people. Were you able to find out why many Hausa towns were named after some persons?

I think you are actually wrong there. I think probably they were not named after people though sometimes later inhabitants tend to think it was a person. When you get names like Watan, Talan, Kwas I don’t think that were peoples’ names and certainly the whole set of names do not sound Hausa like Ratan, Gafan, Soran; these were not Hausa names and there is no reason to think they were peoples’ names…

(Cuts in…) but what about others like Kano, Mandawari and others?

I know people say that Mandawari is may be a man but they have no evidence about it other than they think it might be. I think what is interesting about this is we don’t know what is the language in which mandawari is first used; it may be Kanuri, a manda name. You know that name like Magwan, Magwan rock in Kano is a Korama name is nothing to do with the person is simply the name for chief. So a lot of these names may well reflect what early non-Hausa residents described the place how they spoke about it but we have no idea. One point that is important, of course, is that the early name of what we call Kano is Dala and Dala is the birni (city) in the kasar Kano; the area is Kano. Similarly with Katsina, is the kasar that is Katsina not the town. So, people don’t name towns after individuals.

Sir, now that there is the issue of globalisation and as someone who has extensively studied the Hausa people who are said to be conservatives, how do you see the intrusion of globalisation into the Hausa society?

I think you find that we knew the detail history of ordinary people; that they changed over the years. They changed during the Jihad, they changed after the Jihad, they changed when colonialism came in and they changed when colonialism turned to independence. So I don’t think globalisation has caused as much uproar as you might think normally there is always been change. You have to recognise that by being part of Nigeria, Hausa people have been exposed to other things within Nigeria from Gusau to almost all the places. But as you really said, globalisation has made a unique impact.

If I understand you, Hausa people are not all that conservatives as it is said.

I don’t think they are as conservatives as all that. They have changed often from Maguzanci to Islam, they have changed their pattern of farming, they have changed their pattern of transport; when I first came here everyone rode a bicycle now very few people ride bicycle. Everyone rides motorbikes and cars. I think what is interesting is that the essential courtesies and politeness and hospitability of Hausa communities have remained very much there but then it will be shocking if it didn’t because that is very much the al’adun Hausa (Hausa customs).

Sir, the rigour of scholarship now if compared to your days is always lamented as been substandard especially on areas of scholarly research, how do you see it?

It is important to remember that when I first came here, there was only one university, University College Ibadan. Now there are over 94 and they have been planned everyday so the number of university students is huge. In UCI (university College Ibadan) we had a very select group of best brain Nigerians from all over the country. Now you got a mass number so the population has grown and you come to assume that the elite who were there then can expand so rapidly.

In the surface of history there is a real worry that history is not been taught in primary and junior secondary schools and only an option in senior secondary schools. We may well find that the country is no longer interested or researching in history like it used to but then students will be doing other forms of research but not on the past, I think people are more interested in the future than in the past but I think the past is still very exciting.

How do you foresee the future of the Hausa people and the Hausa language?

O I think like so many big languages it will not be lost. It will expand and develop and change but like everywhere else, English will probably remain an essential language for Hausa people to use. In a city like Abuja you have to speak English because that is the language everyone speaks.

World AIDS Day: HIV Infection Decreases –UNAIDS

2008-12-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

Ø Says Financial meltdowm May Stall Efforts

As the world observe this year’s World AIDS Day today, the United Nations Programme on HIV, UNAIDS, has admitted achievement over the rate of infection of the dreaded Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV). UNAIDS is a coalition of ten key organisations under the United Nations with the mandate fighting the HIV epidemic.

In his message to commemorate the 20th edition of World AIDS Day, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Peter Piot observed that “worldwide, fewer people are being infected with HIV and fewer people are dying from AIDS. Finally”. He attributed the feat to concerted effort by stakeholders globally.

Dr Piot noted that “Presidents and prime ministers, doctors and lawyers, scientists and schoolteachers, chief executives and trade union leaders, religious groups and communities, and – critically –people living with HIV, are coming together in a brilliant coalition that has proved that, with clear targets and strong commitment, we can move mountains”.

Recalling the successes of the HIV/AIDS campaings, the executive director explained that “Over the past five years, close to four million people in developing countries have started to take lifesaving antiretroviral drugs; drugs that didn’t even exist back in 1988 when wemarked the first World AIDS Day”.

“At the same time, HIV-prevention programmes have begun to make their mark, with less people becoming infected. Some countries are taking bold steps to meet the real needs of injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, sex workers, migrants, and other socalled ‘hard to reach’ groups” Dr Piot stressed.

The UNAIDS boss however challenged all the concern stakeholders to step up effort in maintaing the tempo saying more is to be done to stem the human killer. Dr Piot also feared that the ongoing economic and financial crises in the world may affect the war against the HIV.

He pointed out challenges in his words: “we have to find ways to sustain what has been started, to maintain the momentum at a time of a major economic and financial crisis. Second because what we’re doing still isn’t anywhere near enough – in terms of both HIV prevention and treatment. Third because it is increasingly clear that AIDS is a complex, long wave event that also requires a long-term response – including action to secure human rights, eliminate gender inequalities, and strengthen health and social systems”.

In his goodwill message, the Director of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, hailed the undertanding and contribution given by the people to collectively fight the endemic. He said: “success in responding to the HIV epidemic requires sustained leadership, community engagement and the involvement of people living with HIV”.

Obaid maintained that “During the past two decades, progress has been made in delivering prevention and treatment services, and reducing the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV. However, much more needs to be done to keep the promises that have been made”.

Worldwide, 38, 217, 530 people are living with the HIV virus. Africa has the highest prevalence with the 19 countries topping the HIV/AIDS epidemic chat all from the continent. More than 24.5 million Africans are HIV positive, representing over 60% of the AIDS-infected population. South Africa is reported to have the largest population living with the disease, at well over 5 million people infected. Nigeria follows suit with 2, 800, 000 infected persons according to the 2008 estimates.

rulers of my land

2008-11-25T06:59:00.000-08:00

rulers of my land
leaders they are called
you can’t see them
if you are not big wing
save when they want pass
in intimidating motorcade
we! we! we! they blare
to get the way
their hands flown in the air
waving ironically
don’t you listen
to their siren?
we! we! it proclaims
themselves that is
no one but them!

rulers of my land?
they are served by servants
praised by praise-singers
surrounded by sycophants

rulers of my land?
they are wealthiest in town
move in costly cars
copulate with classy women
they are the first in all
except wisdom and wit

different names they have
listen attentively
the execuTHIEVES is one
thieving in silence
then the PARTYmentarians
parties to my woes
they are good at parties!
among them are SINators
and their younger ones
the other one they say
is the judiCIARY
sharing all my shares
these are the rulers
of this land
they call themselves leaders
rulers of my land
open sore of this land!

Kwatarkwashi

2008-11-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

Kwatarkwashi
(on the Kwatarkwasi inselberg Zamfara)

Awashed in sweat, fainting,
Yearning to have your real touch
Here I am old one
On the verge of your bald head

Your skin cracked by old age
Vestiges of hair on your head
Kwatarkwashi you were a subject
Of childhood tales and folks

Now that I come and kiss
Your fragments and
Drank from fountain spring
That cascades from you watery eyes

What audacity do I have
To dispute your horrific stature
Behold, I am scared by
Your huge intimidating body

Kwatarkwashi the Eden of
Tourism aren’t you a gold
For this ancient city
That has been left untapped

The mother of all rocks
That these eyes have ever see
While taking home the lingering
Memory of my meeting with you

May I book another meeting
Another appointment to see
You again Kwatarkwashi I
Still want to visit you again

6:01PM
1/11/2008

ANA Convention in Gusau

2008-11-05T07:12:00.000-08:00

Last week I was in Gusa, the Zamfara state capital in North western Nigeria for the Annual international Convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)from Thursday (30th october) to Sunday (2nd November). It was fascinating, scintillating experience of meeting literary giants and having some inspiration from people, places and events around. In the picture above I was snapped amidst fellow writers who queued up to have a sip from a spring water gushing from Kwatarkwashi inselberg in a gigantic rock in the ourtskirts of Gusau.

Interview with Gov. Ibrahim Shekarau

2008-10-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

So many things had happened in the recent past in the political arena of Kano state. I had the opportunity to interview the state governor, he reacted to most of the issues at the stake in this short interview:

Sir, recently the Hausa service of the Voice of America quoted you to have blamed the presidential aspirant of your party General Muhammadu Buhari as the person responsible or the arrowhead behind some political intrigues in the Kano . Can you kindly expatiate?

Thank you very much. I have heard all these reports even though I have not heard the reports myself which was said to have reported by the Voice of America. Let me first say that the last time I spoke with the Voice of America will be almost a year and a half, almost two years. From the narration of those who heard the reports and what they said was quoted, it is very clear that it is from a collection of recordings that might have been made some two years ago and my reactions to that is that, that is most unfair and mischievous. I think While I will never disown anything that I would have said myself but the ethics of the job requires that you put things in their proper perspectives; that is if you are quoting someone who has said anything at any given time, you need to give background as to when was the statement made, where was it made, why was it made or what prompted the statement being made if these was reported that would have been a different matter but for the media for the media as respectful as the Voice of America to have descended so low to mischief making, because if media houses will go on to that, that would be very misleading.

You know, a statement made at any given time is determined by circumstances of that very moment and if a third party is to be given the opportunity of listening or reading that statement is only fair to tell him when, where and why was it made. In particular even in the scholarly sector, if you write any script, a scholarly paper, and you make any quotation you need to say which book you are quoting, which year was the book published because that will convey to the reader or the listener, the message that was intended as at that time. This is the much I will say on this and we are taking it up with the authorities of Voice of America because we have the right to cast and question on why those recordings were put in place without putting them in the right perspective.

But could you remember the time you made those utterances?

Well, I said if the media had recorded and reported, because I did not heard it myself; I did not heard the actual broadcast, is from what people have been coming to say ‘Voice of America have said you said this, you are quoted o have said that’. In the last five years as the governor of Kano, I have made millions number of statements in various places, for various reasons and all of these statements will be pleasing to some people, will be displeasing to some people. So for me to comment on any statement I have said to have been made, I need to be told these are the exact wordings, this was the place, this was the time or this was the occasion, if I can get that, I would be able to explain why such statements were made and whether or not I was quoted exactly from what I really said. Unless that is done, I will not be able to comment on that. My only comment on it is that from the reports that I have heard they made those recordings and there were no background statements as to when and where these statements were made.

But sir considering the fact that the statement was never in the media before, and the setting of the place the recording was made some said it was in a kind of caucus meeting.

Well as I said I don’t think is fair for me, if anybody will bring the actual recording and put it and told me…because it is not fair to just cut some recordings and put it. I might have said a similar thing a dozen of times under different circumstances, so if any recording is brought to me now and I am told this is your voice picked from XYZ occasion then I will definitely recall that these were the circumstances that made me to say what I said at that time. This is exactly what I am saying now and this is my stand on it.

Since the beginning of your second tenure speculations are on the rise on your relationship with General Muhammadu Buhari that it is not as good as it used to be. Recently Gen. Buhari gave out daughter in marriage and I don’t think His Excellency was there, so people point that as evidence. What is the truth of the matter?

You see if you say that of General Buhari I did not attend when his daughter got married, daughters of several other people were married but I did not attend. Prominent one that I may cite, Aliko Dangote gave out his daughter in marriage, I was not there. Several governors were here, ministers and so on, I was out of the town! I had some other functions, I was represented. Some two years ago General Buhari gave out two of his daughters in marriage; I was there. He requested me to be the alwali at the marriage: I gave out the daughters even in the presence of his uncles and brothers, he assigned me to do. This one too he sent me an invitation, I sent back to him an apology that I was not able to attend in fact at that time I was even of of the country that I had traveled.

My relationship with him as an elder statesman has ever remained cordial on one to one basis. I have no quarrel with him, I have never had quarrel with him and he had never had any quarrel with me. We may disagree on some decisions politically because we belong to the same party; this does not mean we became enemies; we became people that will never see eye to eye. I still respect him; I see him as an elder statesman, as a former head of state, as one of the leaders of my party and to date, to the best of my knowledge, is still a member of the ANPP which is the party that is governing Kano state.

There isn’t anything as such, whatever role anybody played during elections that is a different matter, we have passed that stage, we have put that behind us. I have had people within the party and even out side the party who disagreed with me in 2003, today they are part and parcel of us. We have had people who disagree with me in our elections of 2007 but once the elections are over; we have won we are one and the same thing.

As close as my deputy governor, I had no quarrel with in 2007, he contested with me in the primary election of my party. The party wanted to stop him, I said no allow him to participate this is democracy he now bought the forms. He participated, we defeated him and to date I have not heard any report that Magaji Abdullahi has left ANPP. He is still a member of the ANPP, he can still play a role in ANPP he can still contest elections under the ANPP; we have passed that stage and we are not looking back.

Sir, recently there is the issue of distribution of cars to monarchs in the state which has generated so much controversy. What is your reaction?

You see, unfortunately some of these who were said to have reacted negatively were either doing it out of ignorance of our structural set up or are simply being mischievous. In the first place I want to disagree with the caption that these vehicles were gifts; they are not gift at all. Peoples need to be reminded that, district heads, village heads, ward heads up to the level of the Emir himself are all government functionaries, they are full time government employees; they are being paid salaries, they are being paid allowances, they have privileges like the governor, the deputy governor, the commissioners, the special advisers and what have you. So this does not mean that they are given gift and this is not the first time any government functionary is given a vehicle. Why didn’t people question the vehicles being bought for governor, why didn’t people question the vehicles being bought for commissioners, why didn’t people question the vehicles being bought for assemblies; that is one. Number two any body that exists within and knows the structural set up knows that district heads are entitled to official cars and local government councils under which the district heads operate do buy them official cars.

What we have simply done is that, we said we will no longer tolerate a situation whereby a local government will buy a ramshackle old secondhand vehicle for the district head; what is worth doing is worth been done well. They buy them old cars and different brands, different varieties these cars keep on breaking down. We even have instances where local government chairmen will be quarrelling with district heads on the repairs of their cars, replacement of the cars and so on. What we did was, we directed the state ministry for local governments to instruct all local government chairmen to make provision for fresh new brand jeeps for their district heads –new ones!

Since I came we had two elections into local government councils and any time we have change local government chairmen, we approved for them to buy new 406 cars for each of the local government chairmen, we have been buying cars for our council members: these are meant to facilitate their job. So we directed the local governments, we coordinated centrally. We say every local government chairman must put down the cost of a new vehicle for his district head. This money is put together under the supervision of the local government ministry; a supplier was obtained authentically, all the due processes were followed and these cars were purchased. Each car belonging to a district head was paid by his local government authority not by the state government.

So when we put all the vehicles together, we told the emirate council that this is what we have done and the emirate council requested that we made the presentation in the presence of his royal highness. The ones that were bought by the state, were those for the councilors of the emirate council that do not have portfolios. We have 44 district heads with portfolios one per local government, the others, about nineteen I think, who are none portfolio holders and members of the emirate council, the state government paid for them because they are operating at the centre. This is the whole story about the vehicles for the district heads, is nothing like gift. If you call their vehicle gifts then you should call the vehicles given to the governor as gift. Even at the national level aircrafts are been purchased for Mr. president to facilitate his job, vehicles are been purchase for the senate president, for the speaker, vehicles are been purchased for the senators, for members of the house of representatives.

These are people that our community recognises their functions, up till today in our communities people know that district heads, village heads, ward heads, have a role to play in the day to day activities of our people. I always say that go to any village in Kano today, if there is any quarrel, if there is any dispute between individuals or communities, they run to the village head, they run to the district head nobody goes to the chairman of the local government or councilor. These are people who are still in charge whether the constitutional gives them a role or not, socially they play a role and they play a role in keeping peace and with the present sound vehicles he have given them now, we requested the emirate council to insist; there should be more effective supervision.

It more disheartening and more painful when people who were in government before; who knew what roles these district heads play, who knew these are really part and parcel of the government structure, will be complaining that is a wastage, is a misplacement of priorities. If they say is misplacement of priorities then the purchase of aircraft to Mr. President, the vehicles for senators, the house of reps, ministers, the commissioners, down the ladder to the local government chairmen are all misplacement of priorities.

In spite of the fact that we know our schools need attention, our hospitals, need attention, our roads need attention, every other sector of the social service need attention, that does not mean because we have problems in these sectors we expect or president to trek, you expect your governor to walk on his foot, you expect the commissioner, the minister and assembly members to walk on their foot. So those people saying ‘is a misplacement of priority; we need schools, we need hospitals, we need roads why do we take hundred of millions to buy vehicles for district heads’. Do you expect the district head of Doguwa, that takes you two and a half hours drive to Kano , to operate between the emirate council and his district on foot? On commercial vehicle? How do you supervise as many as thirty villages under a local government if you didn’t facilitate. That is why I said is all been mischievous is either those who are commenting are doing it out of ignorance of this information thinking that government just distributed some largesse, we have so much money so we buy gifts and start distributing, far from it! What we have done was to give sound and effective functional vehicles to our district heads the way we allow chairmen to buy new vehicles, the way we give our commissioners new vehicle, the way ministers are given new vehicles, the way governor has vehicles to run his affairs and activities so is not different at all. This is exactly what we have done and we have no regret for doing that!

Thank you sir for sparing your precious time

Thank you

Note: an edited version of this interview was published in LEADERSHIP SUNDAY

Aladdin’s Cave

2008-10-26T07:16:00.001-07:00

It is not once,
Not twice, no
Not thrice
That I dreamt of you –
Of your superb beauty
Of your fertility
Of your good grazing ground
Of your nice looking façade
I hope to visit you
Even for sightseeing
So as to appreciate your bounties

But it saddens me
Since I learnt about you –
That you killed innumerable zealots
Who like me aspired to have you
“Would you save me?” it downed on me
It is said that your cave of cure
Which lures us to you
Is but a sweet enemy
They say it is what drives the world
It controls all great men and kingdoms
From Adam to Moses
From Napoleon to Bush
They said you masterminded
The fall of great empires
Who led Hitler astray?
It was you they said
Aladdin’s cave,
I still can’t do without you

Kano Guber ticket: Kano Shekarau pick it again?

2007-03-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

The complexity of Kano does not limit only to population and the general nature of the state, Kano is also politically complex. Kano ’s polity had remained unpredictable since the creation of the state in 1966. And not only the polity but Kano people seem to have a distinct behaviour that runs in their blood by which they characterised as infidelity thus, they never entrust and support someone at least for a reasonable period of time to run their helm of affairs, therefore I dare say Kano did not have a political hero.

Looking at the list of those have governed Kano from its creation to date, one could not help but figure out many imminent personalities. Loads of those personalities have done tremendous achievements during their era while others have only made matters worse. However, as far memory can recall, no any of the governors started and finished his assignment with full support of the kanawa and left while leaving the ‘good people’ of Kano to moan for missing a hardworking governor.

Cp. Alh. Audu Bako who midwifed Kano state was the first to taste the Kano experience. It is unarguable that Audu bako’s achievements as the governor of Kano state are unprecedented and indelible in the sand of history; hence I need not to recount them here. However, following the termination of the appointments of the state governors, after the ‘Juntas’ coup-de-tat of 1975 that brought Murtala to power, the same people of Kano came out jubilating and even sweeping Kano roads “to sweep Gov. Bako’s maladministration in its totality”. That was the same case with the first civilian governor of Kano state Alh. Dr. Muhammad Abubakar Rimi, who despite his effort to take Kano to the promise land, he was equally humiliated, castigated and celebrated his loss during the 1983 general election.

At the expiration of his first tenure in 2003, Gov. Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has asked for the votes of Kano people once again to elongate his stay, but unexpectedly he lost the elections for unpopular Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau. To cap it all Kano state governorship is characterised with uncertainty, betrayal, unforeseeablilty and continuity jinx as it happened to many governors at the past.

Now as the election epoch nears, things are folding and unfolding in the polity, and the political technocrats are busy in their political calculation. At the federal level where People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has the government under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, it is expected that he will handover to another democratically elected president, come May 29 of this year. However, as the ruling party would not like to relinquish the number one seat in the country, indications have it that it would equally like to capture the gubernatorial seats of some key states and the more pronounce are Kano and Lagos where ANPP and AC have the seats respectively.

Down to the contemporary situation in Kano , Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau, who way back in 2003 won the gubernatorial ticket with a landslide victory over the then incumbent governor, is now vying for the second term under the popular slogan of “A maimaita”. But knowing that can is politically complex, with the likes of the believe that no one rules Kano twice and the habit of hoodwink by the Kano people, whereby they physically support someone but betray him when it come to voting, there rise the argument whether or not Mallam Shekarau can scale through despite all these and other challenges. Therefore, in this paper my aim is to look at the forces and strengths behind Mallam and those against him.

However, before analysing the possibility or otherwise of securing the second term ticket by Gov. Shekarau, it will be meaningful to reflects his march to the political scene, his first contest and consequent winning of election in 2003. Mallam Shekarau who, was civil servant with Kano state government before he joined politics, have spent must of his life as a classroom teacher, educational administrator, permanent secretary and ended his life in the civil service as a classroom teacher once again. Toward the end of his days in the state civil service, Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau could be describe as victim of antagonism from the erstwhile governor, resulted from his involvement in the Shari’ah campaign which at that time was causing a headache to the state government due to the heated agitation on the need to implement the Shari’ah in the state by the greater part of the population under the guidance of prominent Ulamas.

Mal. Shekarau, at that time the Permanent Secretary of the state’s civil service Commission, was said to be severally warned by the state government to dissociate himself with the Ulamas and stop attending the Islamic lectures which at that time were themed at the clarion call for the Shari’ah implementation. As he recall in an interview (See “My Experiences in Government” by Ali M. Ali), Mal. Shekarau lamented that he was frowned at through a man-to-man contact and at a time through a letter accusing him of “Gross misconduct”, however, Mallam was able to freed himself from all the charges. But he was not yet secured as attempt was made to dismiss him from his work, luckily(?) He ended up descended to class room teacher. And along the line with the advice from friends and associates (mainly Ulamas, with hom he have long established relationship) Mal. decided to quit the service of the government to join active politics.

Thanks to the incessant internal crises within the ANPP at that time which paved the way for Shekarau in obtaining his party’s nomination ticket without much ado against the embattled Ibrahim Little. The Gen. Buhari’s recommendation of Shekarau to Kano people when the former raised the hand of the latter during Buhari’s presidential campaign in Kano , with his utterance “ANPP Sak”, calling people to vote for the ANPP only, had accorded Shekarau the support of the teeming admirers of Gen. Buhari in Kano state. The duo of Shari’ah activists (including the ulamas) and the Buhari factor, worked concurrently to ensure the success of Mal. Shekarau in 2003.

So, now Mal. Shekarau seeks to be re-elected to serve for another mandate of four years, however, the question on many lips are; can Shekarau garner the support of the Kano people again? Can he not fall among the victims of betrayal of people of Kano ? Are those forces still behind him to see him scaling through once again? What of Kano jinx? Is he going to be the first person to break that jinx? These are just some of the question political analysts as well as Kanawas are pondering over.

Counting his strength, Mal. Shekarau is indeed an unprecedented governor Kano ever had in terms of people support, because, none of the previous governors (civilians) were able to retain their image and full people support at the twilight of their tenure as Mallam is now enjoying. As we are all living witnesses even the erstwhile governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had started playing hide and seek with Kano people as at this time in 2003 or even before that, but in contrary Shekarau still receive warm welcome with the chanting of “Sai Mallam!” almost everywhere in the state.

Secondly, his effort in creating job opportunities to teeming unemployed educated and otherwise youth in the state have extensively gained him the love of many people. Those employed in the fields of health sector, teaching, hisbah guards and sweepers are numbered several thousands, thus strengthen the Shekarau’s followership. In the same light, the administration has succeeded in increasing the workers’ salary with additional prompt payment every month. On the other hand, pensioners who the Shekarau’s administration found in dying condition are now flourishing due to the settlement of money the state government owed them. To show their appreciation the pensioners contributed among themselves to purchase the aspiration form worth Five million Naira (N5 M) for Gov. Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau. And on 2006 workers day (May 29), Kano workers through the state’s NLC Chairman, Com. Ali Munnir Matawalle endorsed Gov. Shekarau to run for the second term.
Apart from employing about 4500 teachers, Mal.’s administration also established many Junior Secondary Schools to solve the problem of overpopulation in the schools and the general inadequacy of the schools. Likewise, he announced an amnesty on school fees for girls and science students, since at his swearing-in speech.

Another achievement identified with Shekarau’s government is in the programme of redefining the sense of society, that is the societal re-orientation programme, otherwise known as A daidaita sahu, whose massive campaign for orderliness had perpetuated all nooks and crannies of the state and beyond.

Moreover, Mal. Shekarau, unlike his predecessors notably, Abubakar Rimi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, maintained a cordial relationship with the Kano emirate and the elder statesmen of Kano , apart from the intellectuals (the dons). As seen happened previously, these classes of people eventhough they do not participate in active politics, plays a vital role in shaping Kano politically.

However, Mallam Shekarau is not without his shortcomings. One of the Shekarau’s main weaknesses is when it comes to decision making. Many a times Mallam has being accused of disabilities in controlling his cabinet, as other say that he treats some of his commissioners with exceptional favour and respect to the extend that they become uncontrollable.

From the onset of his government, gradually his relationship with his godfathers (so to speak), had become sour and they consequently parted. Those were the political juggernauts with whose unremitting support had enormously help Mallam to his present position; these are the likes of Naja’atu Muhammad, Generals Magashi and Akilu, Ahmadu Haruna Zago etc. On the other hand some of the Ulamas have also since distant themselves from the administration, as they label some charges of unwillingness of the government toward Shariah implementation, a reason by which majority of the people voted Shekarau in 2003.

Likewise, there is the notion that Shekarau is not a man of his words, and this, as his critics claim, is evidential in his promise that he will not re-contest for the second time when he was elected in 2003. And in contrary, he is now in the race; however, such allegations of the said promise were severally dismissed by the Gov.’s allies.

Despite his massive support in Kano metropolis, Mal. Shekarau lack full support from urban areas, for one, the people there usually grumble of lopsidedness in project execution. Moreover, in some quarters, Shekarau suffers gross attack due to his neglect of providing capital project, such as roads, hospitals and water supply, unlike his predecessor Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso. In contrary, the government proclaim its emphasis on human development as panacea.

There is also the issue of neglecting politicians in the governance process, which is also seriously threatening the Shekarau’s bid for second term. Since from the beginning many politicians expect that their names or that of their anointed candidates will adorn the list of the cabinet members, but to their shock and disappointment they were not there, instead they end up as chairmen or members of the board of some government parastatal. Likewise, the recent termination of local government councils has further created two problems to Shekarau in the same vein as this. One, the chairmen and councillors are frown at the action with a reason that they did not spent their legitimate period. Two, the politicians have again expected that they will be among the caretaker chairmen, as they have been lobbying for that. But again Mallam shocked them by appointing civil servants to serve in the capacities.

The Shari’ah implementation programme, whose campaign motivated many to vote for the administration, is alleged to be undertaken with chameleonic motion. And others have supposed that the three parastatals Shekarau administration established for the purpose of Shari’ah implementation (Hisbah board, Shari’ah Commission, Zakkah and Hubsi commission) plus the A daidaita sahu directorate are only like a toothless dove that did nothing apart from serving as a medium for siphoning the treasury by the Governor.

Of recent there is another hitch for Shekarau, which started some few days ago in a rumour-like form and subsequently it became the realty that, Gov. Shekarau is among the enlisted candidates by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission indicted of financial misappropriation. This issue which cause an animated debate in Kano polity is now a major hurdle of pre-election. At the heat of this ruckus Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau who was known to be a patient personality has came out in a broadcast with a venomous outburst against his critics, courtesy of this brouhaha.

With all these forces (positive and negative) I have recounted, the dramatic political scene of Kano is full of onlookers; people are waiting to see what will happen next. Should Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau succeeded in his bid for second term, he will leave an undisputable reputation and unprecedented record of been the first governor of Kano to lead the state twice. Two persons, Alh. Abubakar Rimi and Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, tried it at past but it failed them. Now Shekarau is in the same race trying to test his luckiness. The question is Can he deliver? Can he break the mysterious Kano jinx? (If there is a thing like that) We are all waiting to see, and Allah knows the best!

Hausa movies: Promoters or inhibitors of morality?

2007-03-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

"Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”--Edward Burnett Taylor, English anthropologist.
From the time God Almighty created first human beings, that was Adam and Hauwa'u(Eve), He complemented them with culture, which is “the complete way of life” as Walter Rodney, a professor of History defined it. Scholars have argued that even religion is part and parcel of culture and it came and found human beings with their culture. They justify their claim by concluding that a human baby starts learning how to eat, drink, cry when in need of something and laugh to express his/her joy before he/she grows up to be initiated into any religion.Culture therefore encompasses all the activities of a human from birth to death. The way one eats, walks, dresses, interacts with people etc are all products of his or her culture. As the world is divided into different regions so also culture is diversified. For example, the way Chinese eat and the kind of food they eat is entirely different from ours because we are not eating toads neither crabs likewise, we are culturally eating food with our hands not with a chopping stick, likewise the Europeans way of loving and dressing is quite different from Hausas'.
Therefore, different communities have different culture. And some have good norms and cultures while others do not have. Thus, one should live his life according to the teachings of his own culture for the well being and progress of the society as asserted by Professor Ali Mazrui: "Societies develop only when they use their culture and language".
Hausa people, as a society, have their own culture, which is strictly followed according to its doctrines that are strongly rooted in morality. Hausas were well known and cherished as kind, honest, shy, down to earth, hard workers, self-sustained, oh! the list is endless. Therefore, when Islamic religion came to the Hausa land contrary to the cases in many societies, it found that most of the Hausa social ways of life were Islamically sound. Thus, it just strengthened them and reiterated further practice of behaviours like, hospitality, kindness generosity, obedience, respect for elders and the host of other Hausas good characters.
Hausa home videos came in about a decade and a half ago. It was considered as ‘development’ in many faces (perhaps by shallow minds). Initially, some expected that the ardvent of Hausa movies will further outburst the Hausa biography and culture in all parts of the country and abroad, thus it will magnify the image of Hausas, because the then famous TV dramas were only aired in predominant Hausa speaking states. To some group, the film industry will provide employment to our teeming unemployment youth. However, another school of thought (of sound mind and foresight) has entertained fear and lack of satisfaction on the negative development.
As everybody will expect in a film from a particular group of people to replicate those people's culture, tradition and religion. Alas, the Hausa movies of today are complete contradiction of Hausa way of life both culturally and religiously. There is this story of a Hausa language and culture lecturer at the Department of African and European Languages, Tehran College, Iran, who in the course of his lecture decided to bring some Hausa movies for his students so that they can see visibly how Hausa culture is. Regrettably, after watching those films the students broke into laughter commenting on the movies as Indian in another language. What a shame! And indeed this is the image these films give for Hausa.
Ab initio the Hausa movies started with some notions of Hausa culture, decency in words and dress and the general aspect of morality. However, they gradually metomophosed to an American-cum-India film. It appears as if it was being arranged or categorized into eras and each subsequent era is more rude, shyless, immoral and harmful to Hausa as a language and its culture than its predecessor. If one watches over some films, like Gimbiya Fatima, Shamsiya, Ki yarda da ni and others of their ages, he will notice that they are culturally and morally sound than those like Nagari, Sangaya, Zarge and the host of other movies in that span. Likewise, the American-Indian, like movies that are now circulating in our markets in the name of Hausa films, are in no way comparative to their predecessors like Badali, Juyin Mulki and others. Despite that even the previous ones are also hardly acceptable according to the doctrines of Hausa movies and cultures.Going by the theme of this essay, let me come down to the centre stage of my argument and examine the impact of the modern day Hausa movies in our society and to justify whether they are improving the rate of morality in our society as the exponent of the industry and those in the business proclaim, or they are doing otherwise.
Let me start with the effect of these movies on our children. As we all know, before the coming of Hausa movies, wherever you see a Hausa boy or girl so far he or she is going to any school, whenever you see him/her walking on a street, you will see him/her memorizing what he or she learnt in school, be it Qur'an, Hadith or lesson from their Western school (makarantar boko), especially because at that age, most, if not all, of what children are taught is in form of rhyme or song. However, with the emergence of these films, the songs in the movies replaced the Qur'an or Prophetic traditions recitation in the mind of our children. Notably, Sangaya was the first to infest our little children with this bad habit of singing useless and meanigless lyrics.Likewise, they(the movies) are directly or indirectly inculcating bad behaviours in the minds of children, vices such as telling lies, cheating, disrespect, rudeness, disobedience, gradually find their place in the minds of our children.
The menace of Hausa movies as everyone can testify is more common among youth. And by saying youths, I am referring to both males and females, who undoubtedly are the future of the society. They are inevitably the parents, teachers and leaders of tomorrow's society. Yet, their morale is being contaminated and their life ruined courtesy of these movies. And yet the producers, actors and actresses claim that they are reforming the society and preaching decency. How?What brought in decent dress to our ladies if not these films? What indoctrianated materialism in the mind of our ladies (and even males) other than today's Hausa movies? What make girls to have the efforentary of saying 'no' to their parents’ decision, especially on marital issues, if not these useless, harmful movies? With the evolution of these disasters called Hausa movies, attitudes of our young ladies are terribly affected perhaps to an unforcast destination which definitely will not augur well to the future of our society.
I know that Indian and American films were the first to storm our society and most of them were immoral and indecent. However, what is worth considering here is that those foreign films, despite that they contain all sort of immorality, but yet they have very little or no effect to our society, because as one will observe, they are entirely different from their race, language and so on. Therefore, seeing them dancing, singing and wearing indecent dress among others will have less influence on our people.
How on earth do these movies preach decency and morality when they serve as an instrument (perhaps used by West - directly or otherwise) for deteriorating the ethical, religious and moral well being of our society. I often become amazed and amused when these actors and actresses refer themselves as holy as reformers, revivalists or preachers which is obviously the direct contradiction of what they display in their movies. Are they reformers of the society those who wear tightly fitted and transparent dresses exposing the entire part of their bodies and shamelessly, dancing on the screen? Thus going against all Islamic injunctions concerning that what Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala apposed in the Glorious Qur'an in the following verses: "Tell believing women to avert their glances and guard their private parts, and not display their charms except what (normally) appears of them. They should wrap their showls over their bosoms and show their charms only to their husbands, or their fathers, or their fathers-in-law, or their own sons or step sons or their own brothers or nephews on either their brothers’ or sisters’ sides, or their own womenfolk, or anyone their right hands control, or male attendants who have no sexual urge, or children who have not shown any interest in women's nakedness. Let them not stamp their feet in order to let any ornaments they may have hidden be noticed. Turn to God, all you believers, so that you may prosper.” Light(Nur): 31 In a related verse, Allah Subahanahu Wata'ala says: "O prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the believers' wives and daughters to draw their cloaks close around themselves. That is more appropriate so that they may be recognized and not molested. God is Forgiving Merciful". Coalition (Ahzab): 59 Moreover, even the male actors are not left behind in terms of indecent dressing, because sometime the kind of dress they wear is culturally unacceptable. The likes of sleeveless-body-hook shirt, knickers and black sun glasses are completely alien mode of dress. Moreover, even in those Western countries, they are only wayward youths popularly known as notorious who dress in such a way. But scornfully, youths are also imitating such dresses as they see it being done by Hausa movies actors.
The issue of materialism is also among the effects of Hausa movies to our society. Thus, the society is desperately becoming materialistic. In terms of marriage and social strata, those films often show that the rich have special priority, hence adopting the lure of lucre in the mind of youth. Likewise those extravagant movies that are shot in hotels and large mansions that can be best described as paradise on earth, and also well inundated with expensively dressed actors/actresses, driving expensive, one-in-town cars do nothing to our society than brainwashing youth to be greedy, hopeless, get hope only in money, materially-oriented and consequently to start thinking on how to get this thing or that thing without working for it. The Hausa movies of today are totally misrepresentation of the real Hausa we know, as such I dare say that they should change the name from Hausa movies to something else, so far they will continue in the track they are now. For, whoever claims to be imitating somebody, he must try by any means possible to replicate the features and behaviours of the latter so that a good imitation or replication will be attained.
I would like to draw the attention of the producers and all in the cohort of the movie industry, to know that as they camouflage with Hausa and identify their films as 'Hausa movies', they should know that their movies are the mirror of Hausa society at large, especially to someone who knows little or nothing about Hausa people (foreigners in particular) since they clinged unto Hausa identity. But, what kind of image do these movies give to Hausas in the eyes of other people? Indeed very blunt, bad and of course false image of Hausa's morally sound behaviours and culture.
For example, a scene in a movie "Matashiya" shows Hausas as immoral when a girl climbs on a table and tries to kiss a guy. Likewise the behaviour of the mother of the star actress in "Jarumai" provided a picture of Hausas as cruel, evil and criminals. Similarly, "Katanga" shows Hausa as shallow-minded, when a villain can champion the mind of a girl of a moral, decent and good family background to go against her parent’s wishes, yet without any disapproval from the community. Also, a movie named "Yadilan" portrays Hausas as ignorant and shallow thinking people, because the movie is meaningless and of dubious theme.
Of course, the thematic factor is of great concern because to me if fairness should be exercised to the orthodox Hausa culture, love must not take centre stage in themes of Hausa movies. Instead, historical background of Hausa people should be given optimum consideration and issues of social vices that bedevil the society and other educative issues are supposed to be the magnum opus of Hausa home videos-in lieu of this non-sensical love.In my short conclusion, I would like to call the attention of the concerned bodies to wake up from their slumber and work tirelessly and strive hard to rescue the Hausa culture and the future of our society, for if this trend continues, the future of our society would be unforeseeable. More precisely the censorship boards should tight up their belts in their work of infiltrating any undesirable elements among these movies. The guidelines for the film producers have to be reviewed and ensure that it is being followed to the latter, for the well-being of our society. I rest my case.