Bayero University Kano

By Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu

The academic world will never cease to amaze me. Let us look at just one example. Take an invitation to present a paper at an international event, as I was in June 2022. This particular event was the 90th commemoration of the establishment of Oriental Studies at the University of Warsaw, Poland. About 30 of us were invited, mainly from Europe and Asia, to share experiences on our various studies on orientalism from 29th to 30th June 2022. 

The trip was daunting for me, to begin with. It started with an hour flight on Qatar Airways to Abuja from Kano (my base). I spent another hour or so on the ground at Abuja before taking off for the six-hour flight to Doha, Qatar. I spent over four hours meandering around the terminal at Doha, waiting for the connecting flight to Warsaw. Eventually boarded the five-hour flight from Doha to Warsaw. All told, about 17 hours journey time. Arrived at the hotel jetlagged, weary and disoriented.

Off the following day to the University of Warsaw for the two-day conference scheduled at 9.00 p.m. each day. And it was right on the dot, with welcoming remarks by Prof. Piotr Taracha, the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies UW, followed by an address to the conference by Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, the Rector of UW. These were followed by two keynote addresses, then appreciation of retiring members of the university community who had been there for over 50 years, including my host, Prof. dr. hab. Nina Pawlak (that’s how distinguished academic titles are labelled in most Eastern European universities). Let’s see what the letters mean; prof stands for professor, while dr is the doctor. To be a hab, however, requires extra efforts.  

To be awarded the academic degree of doktor habilitowany (habilitation), the candidate must have remarkable scientific or artistic achievements; submit a habilitation book which contributes to the development of a given scientific discipline; receive a favourable assessment of their output, pass a habilitation examination and deliver a favourably assessed habilitation lecture. It is after all this that they become professors.  

Nina Pawlak received her PhD in 1983 (Constructions expressing spatial relations in the Hausa language), habilitation in 1995 (Syntactic Markers in Chadic) and professorship in 2007. Thus entitled to prof. dr. hab. status. The habilitation is a post-doctoral experience that is highly formalized, represented by a separate thesis or a compendium of outstanding work in the area that can be evaluated as making an original contribution to knowledge. It takes between four to ten years to complete. Its public presentation is something like an inaugural lecture before a professorship. In most cases, the habilitation is the qualification needed for someone to supervise doctoral students. So far, in Africa, only Al-Azhar University in Cairo seems to offer this route to university scholarship.  

It is the habilitation qualification that will determine one’s path to professorship, but the publications required for skipping it to become a professor directly have to be more outstanding than the habilitation publication. This process shows rigorous respect for original contribution to knowledge in European scholarship. One can still be referred to as prof. dr. in recognition of their scholarship, without the hab. For instance, I was recognized as so by the European Union award of a grant to teach at the University of Warsaw in 2012. The prof. dr. title, used in mainland Europe and some Asian universities, acknowledges scholarship, even without the region-specific hab.  

Now back to the Conference. No ‘Chairman of the Occasion’, or Lead Paper presenter, nor ‘Royal Father of the Day’, etc. Just presentations. Now that brings me to my wonderment about the academic process. After over 17 hours of flight time (and same hours returning back), like everyone else, I was given 20 minutes (which included being harassed five minutes to the end by the moderator) to present my paper titled The Trans-Oriental Express: Receptivity and Cinematic Contraflows in African Popular Culture, and 10 minutes allowed for discussions – and that’s it! 

Thus, you spend weeks on fieldwork and data synthesis, spend hours being ferried from one location to another, and stay for days cooped up in a dingy hotel room (wistfully thinking about your own spacious personal living space!) eat some unusual and often very expensive food. All for 20 minutes of fame! This has been a recurring pattern in all the conferences I had attended.  

So, what is it about, at least international scholarship, that people would rather read what you wrote than listen to you? In Nigeria, paper presenters tend to ramble way beyond their allocated time. Often, the moderator of your session is worried about stopping you because you are a ‘big’ man, even if you are talking out of point. I remember one case in which the ‘Guest Speaker’ was reminded that his time was up as per the ‘program of event’ (sic). He adamantly refused to heed the time and insisted that since he was the main ‘event’, he would only stop when he finished reading the booklet of his lecture, which was 32 pages! Thank God for Smartphones – people just ignored him and shifted their attention to their WhatsApp messenger and came back to earth only after someone started clapping to signal their relief at the conclusion of the presentation! 

Perhaps it is time for us as Nigerian academics to move from this dense didactic approach to presenting papers – where you are often expected to give ‘theoretical framework’, ‘research questions’, ‘methodology’ (to appear ‘Scientific’ even if there is no Science in your conclusions) before you get to the actual data itself. And most annoying, you are also expected to give totally useless ‘recommendations.’ I had arguments with moderators and participants in Nigeria on the last point where I am asked about my ‘recommendations’ after my presentations. I often reply that I don’t have any recommendations – I present my data and my interpretation. How it goes is up to you. For instance, what can I recommend to a person who based their own narrative creativity on intertextual appropriation, thus creating a meta-narrative? That it has happened is fascinating enough. That I brought it to your attention is sufficient enough in knowledge discourses. In wider international scholarship, participants are more interested in exploring other aspects of your data.  

I think our approach to conference presentations in Nigeria has vestiges of the didactic educational experiences we were grilled through. Under such an academic ecosystem, all research is geared toward policy and governance. It is time for a paradigm shift – cut down the number of minutes on presentation, and focus on the epistemological virtues of the presentation! Oh, and cut-off the prof’s microphone when he seems about to torture his audience beyond his allocated 15 to 20 minutes!

Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu is the former Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). He can be reached via auadamu@yahoo.com.

By Hassan Auwalu Muhamad

Former Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University Of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, has distributed textbooks to Ado Yola Memorial Special Primary School pupils in Tudun Madatai, in Kano Municipal LGA of Kano State.

Adamu, who has dual professorships in Education Sciences and Media and Cultural Communications, graduated from the same school in 1968.

Adamu said he distributed the books because Madatai Primary School was the foundation of his life — a driving force to advance his education that led him to attain two professorships from Bayero University, Kano, in 1997 and 2012.

In an attempt to encourage and support the young pupils to attain higher academic feats, and excellence, he thus distributed books.

The Head Teacher of the school, Mallam Abdulkadir Bature, expressed his appreciation and gratitude. He added that he had never been happier during his tenure as a Head Teacher of the primary school like today.

He also expressed his gratitude on behalf of the pupils and the entire staff members of Madatai Primary School.

More than 3,000 books were distributed at the school’s premises in the presence of the head of the Parents-Teachers Association, Ward Head of Sharfadi quarters, Mallam Ibrahim Auwal Uba and the Head of Parents of the Kano students of Kano Municipal LGA.

By Murtala Uba Mohammed, PhD

“The source of concern is not in losing an erudite but getting his replacement”, Hausa adage.

It was around 1:54 pm on Tuesday 14th June 2022 that I learned about the death of the Emeritus Professor Emanuel Ajayi Olofin, popularly known as EAO among the staff of the Department of Geography, Bayero University, Kano (BUK). The sad news was first broken to us on the departmental WhatApps platform by his colleague and our respected teacher, Professor J. Afolabi Falola. Although already octogenarian, the death came to many with a shock because we were unaware our professor was sick. 

Born in 1941, Olofin started his Bachelor of Geography at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, but due to the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967, he and his coursemates were transferred to the University of Ife, where he graduated. He was also the first Nigerian to attend the Malaysian Premier University of Malaya for his master’s degree. He joined the services of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), immediately after his return to Nigeria. He later went to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria for his PhD, specialising in Fluvial Geomorphology.

Professor Emanuel Ajayi Olofin was not only a teacher of teachers of Geography, his name was synonymous with Geography at BUK. Until his retirement from the services of Bayero University in 2015 and his subsequent demise, Olofin remained the first name to know and remember in the Department of Geography. Until he left BUK, Olofin had been one of the most respected names in the defunct Faculty of Social and Management Science (SMS) and the University at large.

While many a time, a scholar is respected for the depth of their knowledge or soundness of their character, Olofin was respected for his exquisite mastery of Geography, and those who came across him would testify to that. Here was a man who crossed the proverbial seven oceans, came to settle in a foreign land, and not only made a name but secured a good position, having been nicknamed “mutumin kirki” by the university community, which is located in a predominantly Muslim society. The Ekiti-born Professor of Geography remained the longest-serving staff in BUK, and he served the University for forty-one years (1974 to 2015).

I first heard the name Olofin in 2001 when I was still an IJMB student at the Kano State College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies (CAS, Kano). The name was mentioned several times by one of his students and my teacher, Malam Adamu Mustapha (now a Professor of Hydrology), during Landforms classes. When I was admitted to study B.Sc. Geography at BUK in the year 2003, my hope then was only to meet this man we were told that he was a reservoir and encyclopedia of geographical knowledge. Interestingly, he was the only person described in the Departmental Handbook as a Professor of Geography (others were either Professors of Rural, Water Resource or Soil Geography).

Throughout my level 200, I always yearned to meet him, thinking that he would teach us Kano Region (GEO2201), for which he authored a book titled Some Aspect of Physical Geography of Kano Region together with Human Response, which remains, until now, the most authoritative guide for teaching the course. But, unfortunately, that very year, the course was assigned to, and taught by, another veteran geographer and his only contemporary then, the late Mr Oyeniyi.

The first course that connected me with Olofin was Introductory Geographical Hydrology (GEO3214). Honestly speaking, I never came across any person teaching hydrology in a simple and innovative way as Olofin. In addition, I also attended his lectures of 400-level courses, namely, Environment and Development (GEO4302) and System Approach to Geomorphology (GEO4325). For all his courses, Olofin did not only lecture us, as the tradition was in those days but also recommended good teaching materials in addition to the books he had authored, which he gave as guides to students to xerox.

The beauty of Olofin’s class was in its good illustration, lucid language, deployment of humour and riddles, and imparting good morals. In addition, Olofin had carved a name for himself as an embodiment of good character, whose courses one hardly fails unless they were not either attending lectures or failed to sit for exams. It is well known that Olofin informed his students as to when he would take attendance.

I recalled that in one of his classes, Professor Olofin complained, with a gloomy face, that some students would fail a course no matter how much he or any other teacher tried. When we asked for his reason, he narrated what transpired between him and one of our coursemates.

The story was that the student missed his test, which was announced weeks before it was conducted. The student did not complain to the Professor, rather, it was Olofin that came to the class and looked for the student; he asked the student to see him after the class. When the student went to his office, he queried if the student was ready to take the test, and he responded that he was not ready. Instead, an assignment was given to the student to write before the closing hours. The student submitted the assignment to the Professor in time, but when he checked the assignment, he suspected that the writing looked so good to be ascribed to that student. Therefore, he passed a paper asking the student to write his name and registration number. Unfortunately, his handwriting was conspicuously different from the one on the assignment. Olofin asked the student, “who wrote the assignment for you?” After insisting, the student informed him that his friend, a lady, wrote it for him! He counselled the student to be committed to his studies and always be honest and upright!

Professor Olofin had retired from active service and only taught as a contract staff when I joined the services of the Department in 2012. I could not recall a time when he missed his lecture, refused to attend staff meetings, or submitted his marked sheets/scripts late. In fact, Olofin always submitted his marked sheet earlier than any staff of the Department despite his age and the fact that all the staff of the Department, except late A.D. Maiwada and Prof. J.A. Falola, were his students at either their undergraduate or postgraduate levels.

Olofin can be described as jovial and accommodating in terms of interpersonal relationships. I recall his famous joke and parable on Nigeria that when the Almighty was creating nations of the earth, he gave each country a resource or two. But when it came to Nigeria, he put so many resources under its land. People, out of inquisitiveness, asked why did He do so? The Almighty replied: “Wait and see the kind of humans I will populate it with”. This parable describes the real situation of the so-called “African Giant” that is paradoxically rich and poor. Nigeria has all it takes to blossom as an Iroko but remains a low dwarf shrub due to its corrupt leadership and docile followership.

Olofin was not only an epitome of good character and knowledge, he was faithfully dedicated to his job. I can testify to this though not to the extent that his old students can do.

From the little I learned when we were neighbours (his office was next to mine), he used his office hours mainly for writing, teaching and research. He rarely engaged in frivolous discussions outside classrooms or meetings. Instead, he was constantly working with his computer, reading different genres, and reviewing students’ dissertations/theses. For this, he was not only a geographer but a consummate poet and essayist. His anthology of poetry titled Lifeless Line is eloquent testimony.

By a way of conclusion, I wish to say that the death of Olofin is one of the greatest losses to Geography as a discipline and Nigerian academia. It is not only because he was the first Professor of Geography in BUK and the first in the Faculty of Social and Management Science; it is not because he was the longest-serving member of the faculty; it is not also because he was among the first five to be awarded Emeritus Professors in BUK; but because he was an amalgam of a sound knowledge of his discipline, dedication to duty and moral uprightness.

In the realm of geographers, Olofin’s name can only be written with those of other giants such as Akin Mabogunje Nurudden Aloa and RK Udo. For these reasons, I write to extend my condolences to his family, colleagues, students, Bayero University, the Association of Nigerian Geographers and academia at large. May the Almighty Allah give his family the fortitude to bear the loss, amen!

Murtala teaches Geography at the Department of Geography, Bayero University Kano and can be reached via murtalamuhammadu@gmail.com.

By Ibrahim Tukur

Becoming a doctor was my childhood dream. When I was a child, I had an overwhelming desire to save as many lives as possible. The dream was nurtured by my elder sister Maryam Tukur. But back in school, I never performed well in class. More often, I scored low in the exams. That was what principally irritated my father. Although my father couldn’t read nor write, he more often than not flogged me for performing poorly in the examinations.

When I was in primary two, my father employed a tutor to teach us at home but sadly, it never worked on me. Like a dumb, I never grasped anything the tutor taught me. That even made my father angrier.

While we were in the second term, I suddenly fell seriously ill and lost my hearing sense to meningitis. In my parents’ strenuous efforts to restore my hearing, they took me to different doctors and herbalists who prescribed me some medicines that never worked. Finally, after many abortive treatments, my parents gave up the struggles and left everything to Allah, the Exalted of all.

Life became very challenging for me when I became deaf. My friends gradually avoided me. I was often lonely in school and at home. My father became hopeless about my education. Even my dream of becoming a doctor scattered itself like broken glass. 

When my academic performance worsened, which my teachers constantly complained about, my father withdrew me from school and kept me at home doing nothing.

A year later, upon recommendation, my father admitted me into Government School for the Deaf, Malumfashi. That was where I began to thrive. It was there that I learned to write my name, nay, perceived life from extraordinary angles.

I’m currently a 400 level student at Bayero University, Kano (BUK). Unfortunately, due to some problems, I could not realize my dream of becoming a doctor. But Alhamdulillah. Deafness is not a barrier to greatness.

By Aisha Ahamd Jalingo

I barely have many memories of him beyond his signature, white clothes and red cap because I was a child when he passed away, but my husband insisted that I write a tribute for him today, being 11 years since his demise. All I know is Baba was an inspirational personality which means different things to different people. A father with a great sense of humour, a mentor that gave his all irrespective of differences in ideology or creed, and a unionist who fought to protect all till his last breath.

Everyone who knows him at Bayero University will always say how he jokes around with everyone. Whether you were his students, who I heard would rush to M block for his lectures because of how educative and entertaining his classes were, or his colleagues who always ran to him to seek support, morally or otherwise. He treated everyone equally with respect.

During his lecture, he would have the theatre filled with some students not because they registered for the course but only to listen to him speak.  Baba Jalingo was very religious. It is his norm to go to the BUK Central mosque for Magrib prayer and wait till after Ishaa before returning home. A pillar in the mosque is called ‘fillar Jalingo,’ meaning Jalino’s pillar. He would sit there from Magrib till Ishaa. I once saw someone write on Twitter that no one even dares sit in that spot, as when he arrives, he jokingly asks the person to get up. 

His kindness knows no bounds. One memory of his that keeps coming to mind is that whenever we travel home to Jalingo, we normally stop at Gombe to stretch our legs, pray, and eat at a particular filling station. Baba would sit with the people there and chat. He would buy what they are selling, most of which we don’t need. I heard an incident when Baba and our Mom were returning to Kano. Unfortunately, they had a flat tire in a village, Durbunde, just after Gwaram. He met a man who helped them fix the tire. Since then, he always stops at the village to see him, till date that man still visits our family. He named his son after Baba Jalingo when he passed away, named his daughter after mother and recently named another daughter after me.

The same thing happens around Dakatsalle just before Kano. When returning from Kaduna or Abuja, Baba would stop and sit with all those selling chickens, vegetables, fish and whatnot. He usually tells them, “kaima kawo abin da kake sayarwa” (“you too bring what you sell”). He will come home with so many things. 

When it comes to supporting family, I have never seen anyone who supports his family like Baba Jalingo. I know he helped my mother up to the rank of Professor, which she earned shortly after his death.  I heard he often travelled with her to Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, when pursuing her PhD. He was her biggest cheerleader through it all.

I can remember the last incident when she was the HOD of the Economics Department, Bayero University, Kano. A conference was organised in the department, and he was then the vice-chancellor of Taraba state University. I remember him coming to Kano to attend the conference, and he was among the first to arrive, sitting in front with his signature white clothes and red cap.

He often travelled back from Taraba State for the termly visits to our school. Baba never got tired. I remember his last visit passionately during our Qur’anic graduation ceremony. In the picture, I can never forget smiling when he was called to give a speech all over the place. I could not remember what the speech was all about. All I know was he talked for a while, returned to his seat at the front row, walked back on the stage, and took a group picture with all of us when we were called for our recitation.

It was after his death we realised how much he had been sponsoring and taking care of other families without the knowledge of anyone. That is the kind of man Baba was. He made all of my siblings, and I feel special, that every one of us considers ourselves to be his favourite, though I firmly believe it is me because he calls me “kingin Baba.”

Late Prof. Ahmadu Usman Jalingo, fondly called “Baba Jalingo” by everyone close to him, was a UK-trained political scientist, a veteran, a renowned scholar, a great man who played it all around. A veteran unionist and academic per excellence who raised through the rank and became one of the earliest political science professors in Northern Nigeria. Baba was the secretary to the State Government old Gongola and Vice-Chancellor of Taraba State University, a position he held until his death.

Baba was very close to Malam Aminu Kano. He was, precisely, Malam’s personal secretary. I can remember loads of Malam Aminu Kano’s personal diaries we found in his estate when he passed, which my Mom officially wrote and handed them over to the centre for Democratic Research, Mambayya house. In the tribute written by one of his students, Onoja, I read that Baba Jalingo confided in him that the one thing Malam Aminu Kano had in excess was socks. He says he never wore the same socks twice.

He was among the 49 men committee under the able leadership of Chief Rotimi Williams, Alhaji Idris Gidado, secretary, established in September 1975. This committee was the brains behind the creations of ‘CLUB NINETEEN MOVEMENT’ and the ‘NATIONAL MOVEMENT’. Malam Aminu Kano and many northern representatives created the ‘’National movement in Lagos. They later changed its face to become a political party named the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). The National Movement launched recently was originated from the work of this committee. 

Baba Jalingo was a man of the people, loved and respected by all. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 1, 2011. March 1, 2022, marked 11 years since his death, but his memories are still very much fresh in our hearts. We will forever live in his image and will in sha Allah continue with his legacy. 

Rest on Baba, till we meet in Jannah….where we will be reunited forever in sha Allah

Aisha Ahamd Jalingo (Mrs) sent this article via jalingoaysha@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam

A senior lecturer with the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Dr Ibrahim Siraj, has described the four-week strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as a necessary evil Nigerians must learn to live with.

Siraj said that as we could not stop the strike, we could do whatever we could to minimize the ‘losses’ that come with it while anticipating the benefit.

The academic who disclosed this on his social media platform stated that if only we could use some formulas, we are all winners – driving many benefits from the strike.

The writing he titled, “How to Make the Month-Long ASUU Strike a Win-Win Situation”, provided some formulas which he married them up with the benefits worth driving if put into practice.

Dr Siraj wrote, “Federal Government is given an ample opportunity to study ASUU demands, engage in serious and sincere negotiation and finally seal a deal. This will save the system from further disruption and damage.

“And with the countdown to 2023 general elections just starting and political activities expected to reach their peak later in the year, no better time than now to do it. They can resolve this one and concentrate on their politicking. Win.”

He added that “for lecturers, this is a time to sort out all issues relating to continuous assessment (CA), have some rest, finish writing that paper, gain some renewed energy and hope for the best from the struggle. In-sha-Allah it will usher into a better university system: better teaching and learning conditions, better remuneration, and more productive scholarship. Win.”

Moreover, Siraj stated that this is also an opportunity for the students to prepare for the coming exams “eat up the notes, ‘cram’ the handouts and do additional reading and consultation on the topics. This could translate into better performance and ultimately higher grades. Win”.

“Final year students could use the window to invest more time in writing their projects. So, in addition to aiding timely completion, it could also enhance the quality of the output. Win,” he stated.

The lecturer stated that the adjustment in the calendar means that BUK students will spend a better part of the blessed month of Ramadan at home. Thus, he said, “this means students and teachers will have more time to devote to seeking Allah’s pleasure in the holy month. Win.”

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The member representing Kano municipal in the House of Representatives, Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada, has reiterated the need to invest more in education.

Sharada also accused some politicians of supplying drugs and dangerous weapons for the youth for some selfish reason.

The rep was speaking on Saturday during the 40th Anniversary of Mass Communication Alumni Association (BUMCAA) at Bayero University, Kano. 

He said that there was no better investment in any society than the provision of the right atmosphere through education.

 Sharada argued that societal development has a direct link with people’s educational attainment, saying education and development cannot be separated. 

He said, “Education is the key that unlocks everything. And for this, I would like to call on politicians, philanthropists, businessmen and other well-meaning Nigerians to heavily invest in education. 

“For politicians, there is no better investment than providing the right atmosphere and an enabling environment for our children to forge ahead educationally. 

“Instead of supplying drugs and dangerous weapons to the so-called political thugs, politicians should instead choose to sponsor them and make their lives better,” he added.

The events, which took place on Friday and Saturday at BUK, aimed at commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Department of Mass Communication of the institution.

By Kasim Isa Muhammad

The donation of 100 computers to Bayero University Kano (BUK) by the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, is politically uncalled-for. He should consider the poor institutional standards of his state—millions of indigenous students that voted for him battle a lack of various technologies. The donations to a well-furnished and developed Bayero University Kano could never yield a good result for the governor and the entire students of Yobe State.

However, while this may appear good news for Bayero University, it must be tempered by thoroughly examining Yobe State institutional standards and their critical administrative, social, and academic considerations to resurrect active education in Yobe State higher education institutions.

Yobe State University is among the recently initiated universities in Nigeria and is currently experiencing low student enrollment. Their sources are weak due to a lack of advanced facilities for carrying out academic activities and insufficiently advanced technology to train their thousands of students properly. Meanwhile, BUK is one of the top-ranked and accredited universities by the federal government of Nigeria. The university spends years running enough budgets and acquiring modern techniques with a large student enrollment every year. The university’s library is well advanced, and the federal government continues to meet its demand for achieving standard academic excellence in the country. 

There is something to ask the Yobe state governor. Did he ever visit the Yobe State University library and witness how old it looks? The whole Yobe State University building demands a proper renovation from the lecture rooms to the library, theatres, roads, other practical equipment for the medical and environmental science students to acquire knowledge.

There are similar institutions around the local government areas of Yobe that almost collapsed in infrastructure, while others have been struggling with instructional materials for decades without any state intervention. Such institutions are the College of Administration and Management Technology (CAMTECH), Potiskum, and the College of Health and Technology, Nguru, alongside others with poor infrastructure. The institutions spent years under the state government. Still, neither the governor nor the ministry of education attends to them for regular check-ups to monitor what changed those institutional needs to keep existing. 

In conclusion, it is not a bad idea to donate computers to other universities or limit the governor’s desire on where or who to contribute something to. Instead, it is a call of attention to share with the governor that institutions under his places of primary political responsibilities are structurally and academically collapsing to a great extent. The key factor to saving them lies in the hand of Governor Mai Mala Buni.

Kasim Isa Muhammad, Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri.

Book Title: Kwaraption

Editors: Khalid Imam and Ola Ifatimehin                                                                                   

Type: Anthology of poetry written in Engausa

Publisher: Whetstone Art and Information Service

Pages: 72

Year of publication: 2021

Introduction:

Although not simple to define, corruption is a major impediment and barrier to Nigeria’s progress. For many years the country suffers a lack of infrastructure and poor condition of living because of corruption, which not only stagnates the nation but also derails it from the path of progress. Although more endemic now than ever before, the story of corruption in Nigeria is at least very old.

A missionary teacher in Kano, Madam Ethel Daniel Miller (who came to Kano in 1917) in her book The change here in Kano complained of a prince from the emirate that gifted her a set of clothes for the simple reason that she is a sister to Dr Walter Miller, thinking that she could influence his choice as a successor to the throne.

Other examples can be found in fictional works such as Magana Jari Ce (1937), where Dan’iya bribed a police officer to deceive his friend, Daudu, in a story titled “An ƙi cin biri an ci dila.” The case of Obi Okonkwo in Achebe’s No longer at ease (1960) and that of The Incorruptible Judge (1962) by Olu Olagoke were just a few out of many similar cases. These are clear indications of how writers used their pen to expose and sometimes fight corruption since the beginning of Nigeria formation.

This anthology of poetry edited by indefatigable Khalid Imam and awesome Ola Ifatimehin contains 51 poems contributed by 45 poets. Nearly half of the contributors are female writers, which is a clear indication that females have come of age in terms of literature in northern Nigeria.

The title of the book “Kwaraption” is a Hausa and English attempt at pronouncing corruption. While the first, “kwara” part is just the Hausa sound of the first four letters, “corru” (in a word corruption), the second part was derived from the last for letters (ption) of the original word. In other words, kwaraption is a corrupt way of saying corruption. Instead of the editors using Hausa translation of the word corruption which is loosely translated as Cin-hanci or Rashawa, or just writing Hausa variant of corruption as kwarafshin, they decided to retain part of the original English words. This is to portray the uniqueness of the work as an anthology of poems written using Engausa which involves coding switch or mixing of languages (English and Hausa) with a view to achieving artistical beauty and increasing richness of literature.

An Appreciation of Some of the Poems in the Collection

Looking at the anthology, one can understand that the poems covered a wide range of issues of interest as far as corruption in Nigeria is concerned. Some of the issues covered are:

1. Recognizing Nigeria as a rich country which is very blessed with both human and material resources, but whose citizens are poor because of corruption and other social vices.

“ƙasa mai albarka da albarkatu,

mai attajirai, masu ilmi da ‘yan siyasa” Hafsa Ja’afar in a poem titled Rashawa (p. 30). 

• The state of the country as far as corruption is concern. For example, Ameer Nasir in Cutar Zamani described the country as one having expertise in corruption to the extent that it is difficult to separate us from corruption “tamkar jini da hanta” (p.17). Basheer Adam Gobir assumes that ‘almost everyone’ in the country is corrupt (p.23). Similarly, Farida Mohammed Shehuin Abin Takaice (p.24)and Khalid Imam (p.37) see corruption as a hazard whose impact is everywhere; mosque, church and in all places, and Khalid particularly described corruption as ‘flood’ that destroys (Corruption Everywhere, p.39). Khadija Hanga in her poem titled Despicable Diseases sees corruption as marriageable girl, however dubious whose main goal is to deceive “a fool”. In fact, as captured by Ola in his allegory, “Kukan Kurciya”, corruption is now “new education”. Because we are so accustomed to corruption that we are given it good names and the corrupt person were assumed to be philanthropist as captured in a poem Philanthropist na gangan (p.26) “barazanar ɗan ta’adda ba ta mayar da shi gwarzo”. Also, YZ Ya’u corroborates this in his “Sai Mai Taimako”. Umma Aliyu educates us on different forms of corruption that we don’t see as such due to level of societal decay.
• Looking at corruption as a cause to many problems this country witnesses.  For example, in a poem “Tick” byAbubakar Isah Baba, corruption is responsible for poverty and insecurity;

It causes abubuwa masu yawa,

Poverty mai kashe gwiwa,

Insecurity mai karkatse rayuwa,

Ga misalan scandals nan da yawa.”

In “Lamentations for a Country,” Adesina Ajala blamed corruption for dividing the country along many social layers “Corruption is the common denominator that divides this land without fractions.” The division is along religious, ethnic, regional and even occupational strata. In “Gobarar Daji” Yahaya Abubakar sees corruption as “alpha and Omega”, hence, the chance of getting out of the current quagmire is very slim,

“ta yaya za mu yi rayuwa sustainable,

tattalin arziƙinmu disabled.”

Bashir Umar blames corruption for bankrolling the country such that it cannot meet its basic needs, he sees it as embarrassing that the country now relies on foreign aid for its development “wai yau ni ke neman aid from foreign organization”. The writers believed that Nigeria has taken a poisonous venom, whose effect transmitted to the children, making them engaged in killing one another “mun ɗauki kansakali, maimakon magani.” Ajuji in his “Bragging da Kayan Sata” captures an attribute of a corrupt person.

“there stand akimbo…

carrying pot belly,

like expected mother.”

• Trying to understand the dynamism and causes of corruption is one other focus of the poets in the anthology. Amatullah Saulawa in her “We shall not be afraid” boldly says:

“yes, it is our faults,

if dictators shift gears,

we bring them back” (p.15).

This is a similar submission of Maryam Baffer in the poem “Har da ni”. However, the politicians are most blamed in the collection because they stand for it

“ko da tsiya ko da tsiya tsiya

sun kasa

sun tsare,

sun raka,

sun rabe”

as stated by Hafsa Ja’afar in Rashawa (p. 30). Lynda Mustapha in her two poems “Write it down” and “Buhu-buhun Iskanc”i blamed politicians for perpetrating corruption in the country. Moses Odozie writes on corrupt civil servants whom he nicknamed “Ɓarawo mai Biro”. Murtala Uba Mohammed, in his poem “Corrupt Nation”, believed that corruption is not limited to politicians, there is also the police, court and parents (p.51).  

• The writers are tense of corruption and eagerly want it to end. Adesina Ajala said;

“Yaushe zamu warke daga wannan ciwon ne?

Wa zai haska fitilar gaskiya cikin wannan duhun baƙi?”.

Corruption is here seen as a wound that needs to be cured and darkness of a night that should be put in the light. In “The Oak Tree”, Aliyu voices out; “yet we hope for betterment”

• The authors not only lamented over the problem, they also recommended some solutions to the problem. Madinah Abdussalam in his “Yours and Mine” sees the solution as public, that every person should do it himself.  He says “who will end corruption in ba mu ba”.

In “Soyyayar Corruption” by Elizabeth Zephaniah, the public is seen as a solution, she metaphorically states “yaushe za mu ga eagle na fighting corruption”. Musa Adam was also having a similar view in his “My father’s 61st Rebirth”. Some of the poets expressed unity as an important factor in the fight against corruption, “dole we have to be united” as stated by Haneefa Musa Isah in her poem “Mu haɗa kai” (p 31). Also, Sani Abdullahi Salisu in his Kwarapshin (p.61).      

Engausa

It was not surprising when I saw this anthology. This is because of my prior knowledge of the debate that started on the page of APNETi when Dr Ola began to release his poems in a fashion of code switch, mixing English with the Hausa language which Khalid and some other members called ENGAUSA and opined that it is new and welcomed development. Some members of the group, most especially Professor Yusuf Adamu objected to that saying that language blend and code switch is not new in poetry particularly among Hausa poets citing a popular line of late Nai’ibi Sulaiman Wali in his poem Damina

“… su yi kasuwa su yi kantuna,

kowa busy sai su damina.

Yaran gari ko sai bal suke,

kowa ka duba very happy…”.

Khalid and his likes were not convinced arguing that the example given is INGAUSA, different from ENGAUSA. They said INGAUSA is a Hausa poem where words and phrases are used to complement the writer’s inability to come up with the right words based on context or meaning as opposed to ENGAUSA which is a poem written specifically with two languages blending and it is purely artistical. In the introduction of this book, the editors maintained this view indicating that they had not shifted their position, more so, in an interview conducted by Ola stated that this Engausa is almost his own daughter.

While this anthology may certainly be the first collection on the ENGAUSA poem, the view that the ‘new ENGAUSA’ is different from the ‘conventional INGAUSA’ is very weak. This is because language swap in Hausa poetry is not just triggered by weakness or inability to come up with the right phrase or word in a context, it is equally deliberate. Also, when we look at recent popular Hausa songs we can see Engausa. In particular hip-hop singers such as Billy’o in his song “Rainy Season” wherein he said:

“Mosoyiya, farkon ganinki na yo confusing,

sai da zuciyata tai ta squeezing,

sai da temperature ta tai rising,

jiri nake sai ka ce na sha poising,

ni ko so nake a san ina da reason”

is a good example of Engausa. In recent, northern Nigeria’s film series such as “Son of the Caliphate” and “Gidan Danja” are also full of Engausa. In addition, Aliyu Idris aka Abdurabbihi is another example, whose poems are in a mix of Hausa, English and Arabic languages even before seeing Ola’s “Sarauniyata” which appeared first in APNETi platform. Agreed, Ola and to some extent. Khalid can take the accolades of popularizing the Engausa and APNETi for holding the first workshop to teach it. It is another issue as to whether the new Engausa has a rule or not. But it is important to state that Engausa is an attempt to mimic how we (particularly the educated elite among us) talk at home and other places.

Finally, I wish to congratulate the editors for the first Engausa anthology and the All Poet Network International (APNETi) and Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) for sponsoring the publication of important literary work that can help in Nigeria’s corruption crusade. The text is truly a noble of a kind. While wishing to see more literary work of this format, I wish the editors will do more in editing the Hausa language in the subsequent publications. I noticed many orthographic errors with respect to the Hausa language, which our indefatigable Imam will share the larger blame for his expertise in the area. I also conclude with the following lines:

Mai biɗar gane corruption,

To ya ɗau wannan collection,

Hausa tare da Englishin,

Sandwich kuma conjugation,

An zubo concatenation,

Kar ku ce contamination,

An yi ne don education,

Tun da Ola ya yi motion,

Ka ga Khalid zai yi action,

An yi  don inganta nation,

Yau kwaraption mun rejection.

The reviewer, Dr Murtala Uba Mohammed, is with Geography Department, Bayero University Kano, and can be reached via murtalamuhammadu@gmail.com.

By Hussaina Sufyan Ahmed

The Imam of Al-Furqan Mosque of Nassarawa G.R.A, Kano, Sheikh Dr Bashir Aliyu Umar, said that during a lecture at the Faculty of Arts and Environmental Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, today, January 19, 2022. 

Dr Bashir lectured on “Islamic perspective on the drivers and ways to mitigate global environmental change”. He further explained the basis of maintaining environmental cleanliness as Muslims, citing Quranic verses and hadith. 

He said: “Islam asserts itself as a universal religion – through reaching people, geographical spheres and historical applicability.”

The former chairman of Kano State Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, was among other scholars who attended the event. He also contributed to the seminar.

He added, “The upholding of environmental protection and maintenance of one’s environment leads to healthy wellbeing and sanity. On the other hand, a lack of environmental protection and maintenance leads to sickness, irrational thinking and poor focus by the people around such environment.”

The lecture was part of the Talking Environment Seminar Series organised by the Faculty periodically.