Many years ago, when I was a young lecturer at Kaduna Polytechnic, I had a discussion with a senior colleague of mine. I have always disliked having disagreements with my seniors because I easily admit defeat as I don’t want to appear disrespectful.
My discussion with the Chief Lecturer was around General Muhammadu Buhari’s achievement as PTF Chairman. The senior colleague, who bitterly disliked Buhari, was of the opinion that PTF under Buhari “did nothing except for some roads he constructed around Katsina”. When he was reminded that the road he followed daily to work was constructed by Buhari’s PTF, the man vehemently denied it even though it was well known to all the people around the Tudun Wada area of Kaduna, and he could easily find out in case he forgot. But his mind was beclouded by hatred. Hatred stinks, and it blinds.
My discussion with my senior colleague came to my mind this week while I was travelling back to Kano from Kaduna. For two decades before Buhari assumed office as a civilian President, this road had become one of the most dilapidated in the country, and Nigerians, including myself, wrote to call the attention of President Buhari to it while his administration was still taking off. These calls did not fall on deaf ears, and even Buhari’s enemy cannot deny that the quality of work done in the renovation is high.
Of course, more work is needed on the Kaduna-Abuja side, and although it is ongoing, it is clear that the project will outlive the Buhari administration, which has less than three weeks to go. His is, however, much better than PDP governments that were more interested in politics than service.
Two other projects attracted my attention while on the same journey. They are the Kaduna-Kano-Maradi rail line and the famous AKK gas pipeline project. The speed at which the two projects are being pursued is high, but the completion date can obviously be no earlier than May 29, 2023.
On December 25, 2018, while travelling along the Kano-Katsina highway, I stopped at Tsanyawa to take a picture of an accident caused by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s five-kilometre project. The five-kilometre project was a failed project of the Kano State Government under Engr. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in which a five-kilometre length of the expressway was supposed to be built in each local Government headquarters.
For local government headquarters on major federal highways like Tsanyawa, Bichi, Rimin Gado, etc., the state government only succeeded in spoiling Federal roads on which partitions were made without increasing the widths of the roads. I displayed the picture on my Facebook page with a call to Kano State Government to correct the mistake it made.
Two years later, on 24th October 2020, I stopped at the same spot in Tsanyawa and took another picture of the road after Buhari’s dualization project. The dualization solved the problem in both Bichi and Tsanyawa, the two local government headquarters on that road. I am personally happy that the dualization of the Katsina-Kano road was embarked upon by the Buhari administration because it is the road I ply more than any other in my life.
So why are we only looking at the mistakes? Were our expectations from Buhari too high? Did his mistakes overshadow his achievements? Or are we simply difficult to satisfy?
A fair answer is to say, “All of the above”. You may not be happy to hear that, but it is my opinion.
I have never seen people more expectant than Nigerians. When they love a person, he is fault-free and infallible. Anyone who disagrees with him must be insulted and disgraced. He will solve all their problems. I think that is why when they eventually hate the same person, they go to another extreme of not seeing anything good with them. Buhari is a victim of this, unfortunately. Examples of other objects of extreme blind love by their supporters are Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
What about the mistakes? Are they too many or too grave, or both? Are all of them mistakes or blunders? Or are they simply contempt for Nigerians or some groups thereof by President Buhari?
I sometimes wish Buhari did not accept to become the President. Many people are at a loss about how he simply allowed innocent people to continuously be killed in his home state while speaking about defeating Boko Haram in the faraway North East. By the time he leaves at the end of this month, President Buhari will leave Katsina more insecure than he met it. Last week, a major national daily reported the migration of dreaded bandits in large numbers from Zamfara to Katsina state.
On several occasions, when Buhari was asked about banditry in the North West, he dismissed it as a fight between people of the same culture and tradition. This can mean farmers/herders or Hausa/Fulani communal clash. Many victims like me are not happy with this kind of response and see it as the reason why well-known bandits’ kingpins are operating freely in our state, kidnapping, enslaving, killing, raping, etc.
The least corrupt Nigerian politician I know will leave Nigerians in a more difficult economic hardship than he met them. I observed Nigerians taking a long time comparing their income and prices of foodstuffs (yes, food, not any luxury item) in 2015 when Buhari came and in 2023 when he is leaving. Nigerians are suffering.
What about Education? Buhari kept poor people’s children at home for eight months last year and many months in 2020 while his children were schooling in Europe is an indication of the contempt he has for the poor people of Nigeria who formed his support base. The number of out-of-school children is rising. The Almajiri Education Commission should have come earlier, but it is still a welcome development which we hope the incoming President should implement with the seriousness it deserves.
Finally, Nigerians are also difficult and unfair. When they love a politician, they don’t consider him a human being with strengths and weaknesses. If they do that at the beginning, they will certainly be fair to him at the end. But like some binary machines, they only have two states; absolute love and absolute hate.
Prof. Abdussamad Umar Jibia wrote from Bayero University, Kano. He can be contacted via aujibia@gmail.com.
The number of phone snatchers is outrageous in Kano because the government is not punishing the perpetrators. Instead, it allows the politicians to use them to win elections and even ask them to do many bad actions, including killing everyone who comes their way in every polling unit in the state. You, too, could all see the thugs that they hired in the recent election—their number is countless. Shame on those that kill their people for their selfishness!
These phone snatchers are those that I can describe as unkind, insensitive, and barbarous robbers that started to turn into vampires—they may eat every flesh of a human when they get patterns. They must be eradicated from the society of living humans to another world of theirs or put in a dungeon of some hungry beats to rot.
Due to their problem, I would like to give some ways to help fight and eradicate them and their scandalous behaviour of snatching people’s property in Kano state and any other place. The ways are here below:
Firstly, It’s time for the government to start neutralising all the obstinate hoodlums that use lethal weapons while snatching people’s phones—they snatch and even kill the victims after. What kind of aggressiveness is this?! Indeed, I stupefy everyone that doesn’t support their killings. But they kill, and they have to be killed! And, slaying them will be soporific to us all.
Secondly, I would like to call upon us all to reflect on and defy the thugs back. However, I don’t mean that you fight them back if you’re alone, but I mean that people shouldn’t always be afraid of those nincompoops—those that run when the action is taking place can stop it (I swear). It’s only that we’re always frightened.
You need to have something you can use to defend yourself. But, I must say, “Shame on those that will see one young man killing a baby in her mother’s back and do nothing to stop him!”
Lastly, I hope the incoming government will ensure that it enforces some laws that will authorise the above forms of penalty to be performed publically for the rest of these hoodlums to see—whoever sees it among them won’t dare to do it again. Indeed, people need a lot from you—not this only!
May you have the ability to do the right things, amin.
A Nigerian private university, Al-Istiqama University Sumaila (AUSU), Kano, has taken a bold measure to address the lingering issue of drug abuse among youth, particularly its students.
Professor Salisu Shehu, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, disclosed this on Tuesday on his verified Facebook account.
The Vice-Chancellor said the university would not tolerate any form of drug abuse, adding that the move was to ensure “drug-free campuses.”
Reports on the danger of drug abuse by our media outlets recently filled the air following the murder of a Kano mother by her drug-addict son a few days ago.
The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that the university has made it mandatory for all its students to go through a ‘drug screening exercise’.
In the disclosure he titled ‘Zero Tolerance to Drugs in Al-Istiqama’, Professor Shehu added, “As part of our efforts to ensure drug-free campuses, we have made it mandatory for each and every student, fresh or returning, to go through DRUG SCREENING EXERCISE at the beginning of each session.
“As we have just returned for the 2022/2023 Session, the exercise is currently ongoing, as can be seen in the photos below. ALHAMDULILLAH ALA TAUFIQIHI WAMTINANIHI,” he stated.
The Daily Reality, going through people’s reactions to the post, learned the measure taken by the university is fully supported by the public.
The decision was appreciated, and other universities were also called on to emulate Al-Istiqama to ensure a drug-free environment.
When are you getting hitched? Are you still single? When are we meeting our in-law or the Mr Right? You’re just choosy, aren’t you? So hurry up and get married! All these questions are uncalled for. Seriously people!
Do you need to go that extreme in asking people unanswerable questions who do not know the unseen? It’s driven people nuts, and it needs to stop. Believe it or not, delayed marriage is a trendy issue not only within our society but also a universal issue due to the changes in our modern times.
Marriage delays in Northern Nigeria may result from the following;
Nature: Some are destined to stay single up to old age, while some are afflicted with natural diseases, which, no matter how much they want or try to get married, they cannot.
Tradition: Every family has its norms, values, and principles. Some think their children must reach a certain age or level of education before marrying them off. The issue of trousseau is a major setback too. These principles sometimes hurt the life of the people involved.
Illiteracy: This is another side of the coin, as some of the established youths consider marriage a burden, so they prefer private/commercial affairs. To them, getting married is like inviting old age while the “I’m Still Young” slogan still rings in their heads.
Expectation: This plays a significant role as the backbone of the marriage delay, as both parties expect luxury and goodies before marriage. The gents are looking for capacitated in-laws, and the ladies are waiting to marry into an influential family. However, this might take years for some to achieve.
Financial Instability: Due to unemployment, underemployment, inflation, cashless policy and other financial crises we all know about, some people run away from marriage.
Societal pressure on why and when you’re getting married has led many into failed and toxic marriages, which they later regret. Due to such pressure, someone I know married a man who gave his terms and conditions on splitting the bills 50-50.
As a classroom teacher, she was to handle school fees, medication, and other things. In the end, the marriage broke down because, according to the husband, she’s not complying and not making ends meet. She’s now a divorcee with two kids.
A friend-turned-sister married a man she doesn’t love, but he loves her dearly. For years their matrimony was nothing to write home about with four kids. She made his life and family a living hell to escape the marriage. She finally succeeded, taking her kids along with her and denying him custody of them.
Someone also told me it’s better to bear the title of Mrs in an abusive marriage than to stay single while time is against us. I was shocked beyond words for her to say this. She desperately needs a husband, someone to call her own.
Another one got married to a tricycle driver out of desperation, though he’s an NCE holder with no job, and she’s a graduate with a job. The interference of friends and relatives in their marital life led to serious malice between the two families. The couple used to spend weeks on no-speaking terms. All the love and sacrifices made for each other vanished, and the blame game became the order of the day. Sessions of reconciliation took place with no positive results. Finally, they went their separate ways and found peace and tranquillity, as they say.
The hustle and bustle of life is an essential element that paves the way for critical and creative thinking, mainly if a person engages him /herself in business, studying, working, and what have you. No matter how small it is, it fades away. Whatever is bothering an individual gives room for greater achievements in life.
As the saying goes, ‘it’s better to wait long than to marry wrong’. To avoid jumping into an erroneous affair, you must pray and choose wisely to avoid unforeseen circumstances.
Hafsat Ja’afar read BA (Ed) English at Bayero University, Kano. She wrote from Kano via jaafarhafsat@gmail.com.
In 2017, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje reportedly disagreed with Sarki Muhammadu Sanusi II’s critical comments about the government’s handling of the state’s finances. Sanusi accused the government of mismanagement and corruption, particularly about the state’s debts.
The disagreement between the two escalated in 2019 when the Kano State government created four other emirates, reducing the powers of the Emir of Kano, who was Sanusi then.
Sanusi challenged the creation of the emirates in court, arguing that it was politically motivated and designed to weaken his position as emir. However, in March 2020, a Kano State High Court ruled that creating the emirates was legal.
In March 2020, Sanusi was removed from his position as Emir of Kano by the Kano State government, citing insubordination and disrespect to the governor and other officials. Sanusi denied the allegations and challenged his removal in court, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
Since the removal of Sanusi as the 14th Emir of Kano, many people have reacted differently, and that generated sympathy around the Emir, who was seen as a victim, while the Governor is seen as the villain.
The Kano Governorship election result is believed to be won majorly as protest votes against Ganduje’s policies, including creating new emirates and his perceived allegation of corruption. On the other hand, the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, gave a margin of 128,000 votes to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Although the APC plans to challenge the victory in court, the likelihood of overturning the election is slim.
The 14th Emir of Kano is believed to have supported the NNPP with many antics. First was his appearance in a white and red outfit, the Kwankwasiyya insignia, just before the election when he visited his mother. People also rumour that he financed the campaign of the NNPP of the Governor-elect Abba Kabir Yusuf. Though the 14th Emir was out of the country during the election period, he was believed to be in Makkah praying for the victory of the Governor-elect.
Since the announcement of the Governorship results in Kano, social media space was filled with slogans such as “Sabon Gwamna, Sabon Sarki”, meaning “new Governor, new Emir”. The atmosphere in the Emir’s palace becomes tense, and the Emir’s outfit choice for the Hawan Daushe Durbar says it all. He wore golden armour, which some analysts say is a sign of confrontation in times of war. But now that the battle with swords is over, the question is who is playing with the lion’s tail.
Kwankwaso VS Ganduje
In a recent interview with reporters, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the leader of the NNPP and presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, has stated that the incoming government of Abba Yusuf, the Governor-elect of Kano State, will review the dethronement of the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
“We tried not to intervene in the issue of bringing or removing any Emir. But now, an opportunity has come. Those given this opportunity will sit down and see the issues. Then, they will look at what they are expected to do. Besides the Emir, even the emirate has been divided into five places. All these need to be studied,” Kwankwaso stated.
He also said that, as elders, they would continue to advise the incoming government to do the right thing.
Meanwhile, Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has reiterated that the four new emirates created by his administration are here to stay.
“The four new emirates are a symbol of unity, progress, and the well-being of the people. They were created to honour the people of these regions and recover the reputation of the traditional institutions,” Ganduje said during the Workers’ Day celebrations held at Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.
He added that the emirates were created to upgrade and promote their tradition, and they have brought development to these places. “I assure you that these emirates are permanent. They have come to stay. Even if we are not in government, these emirates are untouchable. I promise you this by the grace of God, they have come to stay,” he added.
It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold in Kano State regarding the dethronement of Sanusi II and the creation of new emirates.
History may repeat itself
During the administration of Governor Abubakar Rimi in the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was an attempt to create five emirates in Kano state by splitting the Kano Emirate into five.
This move was met with opposition by some members of the royal family and other traditional rulers, who saw it as an attempt to weaken the influence of the Kano Emirate.
However, Governor Rimi went ahead with the plan and created the new emirates of Gaya, Karaye, Bichi, Rano, and Kano.
The Kano Emirate was reduced in size and given a more ceremonial role, while the new emirates were granted more administrative and political powers.
When Governor Sabo Bakin Zuwo took over in 1983, he reversed the decision and restored the Kano Emirate to its original size and status, with the other emirates abolished.
His decision was seen as an attempt to restore the traditional balance of power and to address the concerns of those who opposed the creation of the new emirates.
In 2019, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje created four new emirates in Kano State, including Gaya, Karaye, Bichi, and Rano, in addition to the Kano Emirate. The move was met with controversy and legal challenges, with some arguing that it was politically motivated and aimed at reducing the influence of the Kano Emirate. This followed the dethronement of the 14th Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II. And from all indications, history may repeat itself, with the NNPP becoming a new government.
Experts opinion
Following the recent dethronement of Sanusi as Emir of Kano and the creation of new emirates by the Ganduje administration, Nadir Nasidi, a historian at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, has spoken out against the move, stating that it is unnecessary and unpalatable.
In an interview, Nasidi stated, “Kano is the only emirate in the whole country with one unifying emir, but the creation of unnecessary emirs isn’t a palatable one. Many people, including myself, told the Ganduje administration that what he was doing wasn’t a good one.”
While acknowledging that Sanusi’s dethronement was final and he could not be brought back, Nasidi suggested that the other emirates be reduced to local chiefs under the overall Emir of Kano, who would be chosen from among the existing kings.
He said, “Nobody will bring back Sanusi. He’s gone already. But the other emirates must be reduced to local chiefs under the overall emir of Kano. They can choose amongst all the kings one person to be the overall king.”
Nasidi’s suggestion comes amid ongoing debates about the wisdom and legality of creating new emirates in Kano State. The creation of four new emirates in the state was met with widespread criticism, with some people accusing the government of trying to weaken the influence of the Emir of Kano.
Critics argue that the move is politically motivated and aimed at reducing the Emir’s power and influence. On the other hand, supporters of the new emirates say that it will promote development and bring the government closer to the people.
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether the incoming administration will consider Nasidi’s suggestion or continue with its plans to bring back Sanusi Lamido as the Emir and reverse the creation of the emirates in Kano State.
A joyous celebration of a wedding ceremony in Kano turned into a very traumatic incident as some of the guests died and eight others ended up in hospitals after drinking tea prepared with local leaf, Zakami and unidentified pills.
The incident occurred on the weekend in Sheka, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
Alhaji Usman Musa Zakari, the ward head of the area, confirmed the development to journalists on Wednesday.
Zakari said the figures circulating about the number of victims were baseless and unconfirmed, giving the name of the deceased as Mubarak Bala, also known as Diga and Ibrahim Khalil.
According to him, “It is true that the incident happened. It happened when the persons drank a tea prepared with a local leaf called Zakami and a combination of other drugs. Two persons died, and eight others were hospitalised.
“Although there are different versions of the stories being peddled, I delegated persons who went on a fact-finding, and we gathered that only two persons lost their lives. Someone told me four had lost their lives and I asked him to take me to the houses but he later told me that the figure was hearsay.
“Eight other persons were hospitalised after drinking from the tea, but they have all been discharged and going about with their day-to-day activities.”
However, the spokesperson of Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, said no formal report was made to the police division of the area.
The transition process, as it is seen today in the Kano political culture, is something that can be squarely described as unprecedented if the nonchalant and lackadaisical attitude exhibited by the Kano state government is looked into properly. The transition chairman appointed by His Excellency, Governor-elect Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, had decried the total absence of any cooperation, not even lack of it, from the Kano state government to form its own transition committee with a deliberate view to scuttling the smooth transition process.
Myriad of pictures going viral of one of the best social investments that the state has ever witnessed was initiated by Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso in his second spell as a governor, on which he spent 2.4 billion to empower the teeming youth in the state with employment opportunities across the 44 local government areas. Unfortunately, despite the suffocation of the process to make it work as planned for the public to benefit, now this invaluable treasure meant for the public good has been reduced to something like booty looted at the last minute to deprive the good people of Kano of the initial goals.
In addition to thousands of sewing machines that have been metaphorically remanded and cut off from the general public good, some reports of many mysterious disappearances of public properties should be thoroughly investigated when Engr. Abba assumes the number one seat in the state.
It is normal for any right-thinking person to believe that a leader should be a father figure so engrossed in compassion, sympathy and empathy. Still, here in Kano, despite all the wanton destruction and disruption they brought to drag Kano down, all they have is total apathy towards the awful loss they brought about to the state. It is unimaginable to expect what we see today from the people who should regard the Kano people as their sons and daughters with every sense of mercy and magnanimity.
It should not go in vain; all the perpetrators have to be brought to book. Impunity is the main motive behind the abuse of any public office in this country. The more it is welcome, the faster public institutions are utterly weakened. The ills and evils meted out by these people should be revisited judicially. I hope they will serve as a deterrent to others.
Anyone that seems to be conversant with the art of governance knows fully well that Engr. Abba Kabir, alias Abba Gida-Gida has a hefty mountain to move. One can say with a sense of certainty that the outgoing government has braced for the moment to meet out their concealed evil intent against the incoming administration. May he take off his Babba Riga and roll up his sleeves to make Kano breathe again. I hope people should learn to forbear some certain inconveniences. Most importantly, Abban Kanawa needs sincere prayers from the teeming Kano populace for success.
Auwal Umar writes from Kano and can be reached via: auwaluumar9@gmail.com.
His name was Tijjani, and nicknamed Ma’aslam. He mainly lived in the Sabon Sara ward, Kano city, but was a common sight along the Mandawari junction to Kasuwar Kurmi corridor in the 1960s.
Everyone considered him nuts. Apparently, he built a single-storey building without stairs to access the upper floor. He did not think a door was necessary for any structure either, so the building had no doors. He simply jumped up to the upper floor at night and jumped down in the morning. It was enough for the ward head to report him to the Jakara magistrate for him to be locked up on insanity charges.
During the hearing, he was given a basket to fetch water. He simply laughed at the judge, informing him that only a madman would attempt to fetch water in a basket. The judge threw the case out, declaring him perfectly rational. He may be nuts – although eccentric was more apt to describe his behaviour. But then, it takes a certain amount of nuttiness to be an innovator. And he was an innovator.
As children – and I am talking 1960s inner city Kano – we simply referred to him as Ma’aslam. He, I would argue, planted the seeds of onomatopoeic intertextuality in Hausa popular culture, at least in Kano. This was the process of picking up an element of popular culture, say, a song, converting it side-by-side into a different language (intertextual), using ‘sound-alike’ of the original (which is onomatopoeia) into a new one. A quick example was the Bob Marley hook:
Get up, stand up,
Stand up for your rights
Sadi Sidi Sharifai, a Kano onomatopoeic superstar, converted this to:
Jallof, Jallof,
Jallop, sai da rice
Try singing both the original and Sadi’s interpretation, and you have become an onomatopoeic star yourself!
In 1967, the American super soul star James Brown & the Famous Flames recorded the stunning live double album of their concert at the Apollo Theatre in New York. It was, perhaps unimaginatively enough, titled, ‘Live at Apollo.’ A standout track on the album was ‘I Feel Alright’. Its choral hook was:
‘Hey, hey, I feel alright
One time, uh!’
The album of the concert was released on 16th August 1968. I was 12 years old then, and still now, totally wired in music, complete with a Ukulele guitar, given to me by David Hofstad (author of Tabarmar Kunya play). My Dad, an avid music lover, noting my attachment to the song which was played on the radio, simply bought the double album for me at Musa Zamani Record store in Fagge (are there any old codgers who remember this record store?). I played it to death on the old Grundig music player we had then.
Back to Tijjani Ma’aslam. With his eccentric behaviour categorising him as loony, Ma’aslam started reciting the ‘Dalailul Khairat’, a celebrated manual of salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), written by Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli in 15th century Morocco. What was unique about Ma’aslam’s open-air recitation, however, was that he adopted the James Brown meter in the song, ‘I Feel Alright’, as his chorus. His rendition of the hook for his recitation of the Dalai’lu was:
Mujibun, Mujabun,
Afiyan, Afuyan,
Rasulillahi
Ahlan wa Sahlan
Rasulillahi
This was accompanied by James Brown’s dance moves (shown on Television’s Soul Train, which was available in a few houses that he might have access to). Maybe he was not reciting the salutations in their structured order, but at least his verses were discernible, as the Dalai’lu itself was recited in a song form by many reciters in Kano. What he did, and did it differently, was using a foreign music meter to make it more accessible. This formula was to be adopted by the Ushaqu Indiya group of devotional singers in the city of Kano (actually along the same neighbourhood as Tijjani Ma’aslam). More of this in subsequent articles/posts.
Tijjani Ma’aslam’s delivery mode was intertextually onomatopoeic to ‘Hey, hey, I feel alright’. The chorus was ‘Rasulillahi’. Ma’aslam was usually followed by a gaggle of kids echoing the chorus while he merrily led the way, clapping his hands, dancing and reciting the names of the Prophet from the Dalai’lu. Elders were bemused at the spectacle and simply labelled Ma’aslam crazy. He might have been. He certainly was not following the sequencing of the Salawat from the book. But his performances opened a door.
Up the road from his haunt and covering the same zone was the Palace cinema. This was built and completed in 1951 and opened in 1952. Palace cinema became an instant hit with the youth, closeted in the city and without any visible means of night-time entertainment. Before its opening, and still a carryover from the World War II years (1939 to 1945), a curfew used to be imposed on city residents at 8.00 p.m. With the relaxation of the curfew, the few neighbourhood plazas (dandali) that offer games for youth (both boys and girls) were no match for the sheer spectacle of a massive screen accompanied by loud music. The predominant films shown in the cinema were cowboy or mainstream European films. However, after independence in October 1960, Indian films started to be shown from November 1960 in Kano cinemas. Early films screened included Cenghiz Khan, Jaal, Sangeeta, Raaste Ka Patthar, Waqt, Amar Deep, Rani Rupmati, Dharmatama, Dost, Nagin and thousands of others. The one that caught massive imagination in Kano’s inner city, however, was Rani Rupmati, originally released in India in 1957 but only found its way to Kano cinemas in the 1960s.
Like all Indian films, at least from what the industry refers to as Bollywood, Rani Rupmati had a lot of songs – in fact, its overall screenplay is based on two people united by their love of music. However, two songs from the film caught Kano’s inner city imagination, ‘Itihaas Agar Likhna Chaho’ and ‘Phool Bagiya Mein Bulbul Bole.’ Interestingly, there was no choreographic dancing in these two songs, unusual for general Bollywood films but typical of earlier, more historical and artistic ones.
The first, ‘Itihaas’, sung by Lata Mangeshkar, has a great hook that, thanks to Tijjani Ma’aslam, became domesticated by kids along his sphere of influence and Palace cinema zone. It goes something like this:
Itihaas agar likhana chaho /
Itihaas agar likhana chaho /
Azaadi ke mazmoon se /
…
To seencho apni dharti ko /
Veeroon tum upne khoon se /
Har har har Mahadev /
Allaho Akubar /
Har har har Mahadev /
Allaho Akubar /
Sung within the backdrop of a band of warriors getting ready to go into a battle, led by a woman (the titular Rani Rupmati), it certainly gave the picture of a woman more enlightening than what was both the Hausa and Indians are used to. The film itself endeared itself to Hausa through the modesty of the women – shy drooping kohl-enhanced eyes with long blinking lashes, fully clothed (even the swimming scene shows the singers fully clothed in the river), with sari that resembles Hausa wrapper (zani), lots of jewellery, and stunning beauty. A Hausa common saying of the period was, ‘Allah, kai ni Indiya ko a buhun barkono’/God, let me visit India even in a sack of pepper. That was how besotted Hausa youth were to the beautiful Indian women seen on the screen, giving a false impression that every single Indian woman is beautiful.
Hausa youth, inspired by Tijani Ma’aslam, quickly domesticated the chorus of the song as:
Ina su cibayyo ina sarki / where are the warriors, where the is king?
Ina su waziri abin banza / And the useless vizier?
Mun je yaƙi mun dawo / we have return from the war
Mun samo sandan girma / and we were victorious
Har har har Mahadi / hail, hail the reformer
Allahu Akbar / Allah is the Greatest
Har har har Mahadi / hail, hail the reformer
Allahu Akbar / Allah is the Greatest
In an interesting case of lyrical substitution, the Hausa intertextual transcription captured the scene of the song as shown in the film, if not the actual meaning of the words. Loosely translated, the original verse was urging warriors to defend their land with their lives and become part of history. The chorus translates as ‘Let each of us sacrifice ourselves to Mahadev’.
While Mahadev was a reference to the Indian deity, Shiva, this pantheistic line was followed by a monotheistic reference to Allah, the Supreme Being in Islam. Thus, two contrasting religious sentiments were expressed in the song. It was likely that S. N. Tripathi, who directed the film and composed the music, introduced the chorus to attract both Hindu and Muslim audiences. After all, while Rani was a Hindu, her love interest in the film, Baaz Bahadur, was a Muslim. The expression, however, has since then been used as a slogan of communal harmony between often warring Hindu and Muslim communities in India.
But more stunningly, the Hausa version substituted the word ‘Mahadev’ with ‘Mahadi’. The Hausa heard ‘Mahadi’ (guided one), not ‘’Mahadev’, which worked perfectly well. Substituting Mahadev for Mahadi Islamized the song, as it were. In Islamic eschatology, Mahdi is a messianic deliverer who will fill the earth with justice and equity, restore true religion, and usher in a short golden age lasting seven, eight, or nine years before the end of the world.
The second song from the film, ‘Phool Bagiya Mein Bulbul Bole’ (also sung by Lata Mangeshkar, with Mohammed Rafi), also inspired onomatopoeic intertextually but further afield from Kano and bizarrely entered into Hausa urban legend of the 1960s. Its first verse goes something like this:
Phul bagiya me bulbul bole /
Daal pe bole koyaliya
Pyaar karo /
Pyaar karo rut pyaar ki aayi re /
Bhanwaro se kahati hain kaliya /
Ho ji ho ho ji ho ho ji ho /
Ho ji ho /
What Hausa youth heard in the choral refrain was ‘Hotiho’, not ‘Hojiho’, and in the film Rani Rupmati, the lady (played by Nirupa Roy) came to be referred to as Hotiho. The Hausa griot, Mamman Shata (d. 1999) popularised the word (which has no particular meaning) in his song, Mallam Sidi, ‘Mijin Hotiho’/Mallam Sidi, Hotiho’s husband.
In the film, there was no marriage between Rani and Baaz Bahadur because she said she was ‘married to her music’, despite living with him after running away from home to avoid death from a chalice of poison given to her by her father to avoid the shame of her rejecting a chosen husband. In all their dialogues, Rupmati and Baaz Bahadur stress their shared love for music, not their love for each other. So, Shata did not accurately describe the relationship in the film. However, such deep film analysis is not important to the transnational interpretation of Shata of Baaz Bahadur as a signature tune for a hen-pecked husband. Shata’s interpretation of the actor who played Rani’s lover was certainly in order as he was effeminate and obsessed with music rather than empire building, despite being heir to a throne. It was even Rani who led their army into war. He was wounded in the battle and ran away.
Another Hausa griot, Ali Makaho (d. 1984), known famously for his anti-drug song, ‘Mandula’, briefly referenced Rani Rupmati in another of his songs.
Za ni Kano / I’m going to Kano
Za ni Kaduna / I’m going to Kaduna
Mu je Katsina lau za ni Ilori / Let’s go to Katsina and Ilorin
Na je Anacha / I will go Onitsha
Ni ban san kin zo ba / I didn’t know you had arrived
Da na san kin zo ne / If I had known you have arrived
Da na saya miki farfesu / I ‘d have bought you [pot of] pepper soup
Hitoho hotiho /
Hotiho hotiho /
With a comedy skit thrown in, Ali Makaho’s rendering uses Phoolbagiya’s meter to narrate a series of anticipated travels over northern Nigeria. As an intertextual comedy, it worked and remained of his most memorable skits.
A third Hausa griot to adapt a song from Rani Rupmati was Abdu Yaron Goge, who played the goge (a large fiddle played with a bow). Abdu picked ‘Raat Suhani’ from the film for his adaptation. Since, unlike the other griots who used the elements of the songs from the film, Abdul was a musician, he used two approaches – first was rendering the symphonic structure of the opening bars of the actual composition, Raat and playing it on his fiddle, then secondly, he onomatopoeically appropriated Mangeshkar’s lyrics as Hausa version. The original lyrics were as follows:
Raati Suhani /
djoome javani /
Dil hai deevana hai /
Tereliye /
Tereliye /
These lines were pure expressions of love the protagonist has for her lover, especially ‘in the beauty of the night’ [raati Suhani]. Abdu Yaron Goge’s rendition was as follows:
Mu gode Allah, Taro / We should thank Allah, people
Mu gode Allah, Taro / We should thank Allah, people
[These lines vocalized the opening bars of Raat]
Duniya da daɗi /This world is nice
Lahira da daɗi / The hereafter is nice
In da gaskiyar ka / If you are truthful
Lahira da daɗi / The hereafter remains nice
In babu gaskiyar ka / If you are untruthful
Lahira da zafi / The hereafter is blazing
Thus, in a single verse (which he kept repeating over and over till the end of the performance), Abdul Yaron Goge borrowed a popular musical motif from another culture and domesticated it to Hausa entertainment. At the same time, he delivered a message totally different from the original meaning.
There were, of course, many other onomatopoeic intertextual interpretations of Indian film songs, but the three songs from Rani Rupmati, predated by Tijjani Ma’aslam’s innovative use of foreign motifs, were the definitive pioneers in music. In Literature, look towards Abubakar Imam and Magana Jari Ce. The intertextual origins of Hausa arts, of course, started in the 1930s; but its migration to music was certainly in the 1960s. It spawned a Hausa Cinema industry which was labeled ‘Kanywood’ in 1999, a few years before the term ‘Nollywood’ to refer to the Nigerian English language cinema, was created.
On a final note, Nazeer Abdullahi Magoga, a Kano ‘Indian’ (who speaks the language fluently, to the shock of BBC Delhi, who sent a crew to interview him in Kano, in Hindi) composed a song for the Centre for Hausa Cultural Studies, Kano which I was heading, but which I had to pause due to lack of funding. He used the Raat Suhani meter and used both Hausa and Hindi lyrics in his wonderfully beautiful tribute to the Centre. A link to the song on YouTube is given below. To really appreciate Nazeeru’s performance, listen to the original Raat Suhani from the film Rani Rupmati, also provided in a link.
Cibiyar Nazarin Al’adun Hausa by Nazeer Magoga [Raat Suhani template]
I am writing to express my firm belief in the need to consider re-installing Sarkin Kano Muhammad Sanusi II as Emir of Kano. As you are fully aware, Emir Sanusi II was illegally dethroned in 2019, allegedly for supporting your governorship ambitions, despite the absence of credible and substantiated evidence to support that claim. However, reinstating him will set your tune of kicking out all illegalities perpetuated by the Ganduje administration over the years. Additionally, I believe that his installation is one crucial point for you towards your effort to bring back Kano on the route of development previously set by the administration before Ganduje’s.
During his previous reign as Emir, he brought about innovative changes that standardised the ethics and customs of the institution. He organised massive seminars, workshops, and symposia for title holders to share ideas and strengthen the Kano traditional/sarauta institution. He also ensured that any member found violating standard ethics or even involved in immoral activity was thoroughly punished.
Additionally, he was reported to have improved the welfare package of junior workers of the emirates. He provided career opportunities for many of them, something that anyone could not have imagined many years ago. Therefore, it was safe to say Emir Sanusi II laid the foundation for the institution’s changes to strengthen its course as a principal legacy of the Kano people and “Kasar Kano’.
Considering the unity of the system, Emir Sanusi made sure that all other members of the ruling houses and other renowned houses of royals and clerics who felt neglected were brought back and given a sense of belonging. For example, he brought back the house of the late Emir of Kano Muhammad Inuwa Abbas (1963-1963) by turbaning his son Yahya Inuwa Abbas as Dokaji and later Dan Maje. In addition, he settled the dispute surrounding the Wazirin Kano title by giving the title back to the Waziri Gidado family. He also revived the houses of Sarkin Kano Alu (1894-1903), Danlawan Ayuba, Sarkin Shanu Hamza, Danburam Abubakar, Magajin Gari Inuwa Wada, Sarkin Fada Sule Gaya, Marafan Kano Sule, Danmasanin Kano Yusuf Maitama, Ma’ajin Kano Umaru, and many other aristocratic houses in Kano.
Furthermore, as part of his bicentenary celebration to mark 200 years of establishing the Dabo dynasty, preparations were in the final stages to bring back other houses, including your own house/family (descendants of Galadiman Kano Yusufu Maje Garko), Danburan Haruna, Galadima Khadir, Dan Isa Sanda, Sarkin Shanu Hassan, and surprisingly even the descendants of Sarkin Kano Tukur (1893-1894). The importance of bringing back these houses cannot be overemphasised, particularly in establishing unity and stability of the traditional institution in Kano.
According to many people, the neglect of many of these houses over the years has contributed to the continuous down-spiralling route the emirate had faced, something anarchists like Ganduje took full advantage of to bring destruction to family and the Kano traditional institution.
Emir Muhammad Sanusi is the only capable, noticeable figure within the “Bani Dabo” (apart from you) who has the resources, power, and connection to shoulder the burden and drive the institution to further development and greatness. He commands respect among government officials, fellow traditional leaders, clerics, and politicians from different backgrounds and sections of this country. In this aspect, your government can take full advantage of that. As an Emir, he can lead the Kano contingent on any assignment to boost Kano’s image and prestige. You have nothing to worry about with Emir Sanusi going anywhere because, as the famous Hausa praise saying goes, “Ranar fita kunya sai da Muhammadu.”
Emir Sanusi could also foster religious unity in Kano and, by extension, the country. With his position as the Khalifa of the Tijjaniya Sufi sect, he commands complete allegiance and fellowship of the sect. Additionally, his cordial relation with Izala scholars in the state and beyond, such as Dr Bashir Aliyu Umar, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, Dr Nazifi Inuwa, Prof Mansur Sokoto, etc., as well as the Qadriyya, particularly its leader Sheikh Kariballah Kabara is vital to foster the religious unity and harmony thereby ensuring peace and stability in the state.
In terms of government policy development, Emir Sanusi is the perfect ally. You could wisely tap into his vast connection around the globe alone. He can lead an economic revolution in the state, provide advice on economic policies and be at the forefront of wooing investors. His connections to international firms like black rhino, African development bank, Islamic development bank etc., is the perfect avenue for you to exploit to bring about the much-needed changes Kano state needs. As I read, some of your campaign promises can be achieved swiftly with his insight and possibly heading.
For example, the policy of sending students (Kano indigene) abroad to postgraduate training. With his connection to educational centres and institutes worldwide, he can link with many universities and your government to achieve understanding and agreement. Knowing him, he may even convince some institutions to set up campuses and centres in Kano to facilitate educational growth further, as it is on your agenda for the state.
Like your proposed health policy, his connections with United Nations as a Sustainable Development Goals advocate, and health NGOs worldwide suit your government’s exploit. Through these bodies, grants and funding could be accessed by your government to improve health infrastructure, particularly in our rural areas suffering from difficulties in health care infrastructure.
Finally, it is important to note that bringing back Emir Sanusi II will benefit Kano State and the entire country. He is known to be a vocal advocate for good governance, accountability, and transparency, which are much needed in our country today. He has also participated actively in national discourse and contributed immensely to shaping public opinion on critical issues such as poverty, education, and healthcare. His return to the emirate will undoubtedly enhance his capacity to contribute to national development, a benefit that cannot be overstated.
In conclusion, I hope you will consider reinstating Emir Muhammad Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano. His reinstatement will bring stability and development to the Kano traditional institution and provide a platform for the state government to tap into his vast wealth of knowledge, experience, and connection for the overall state development. Thank you for taking the time to read this piece.
Ibrahim Musa, alias Iro Kwarangwal, 22, from Kano, allegedly killed his 50-year-old biological mother, Jummai, by stabbing her during an argument.
The unfortunate incident occurred on Wednesday at around 5:30 p.m. in the Karshen Kwalta and Rimin Kebe apartments in the Ungogo Local Government Area of the state.
An eyewitness said, “I was standing outside my house when I suddenly heard screaming from the deceased residence.”
He stated that when he ran in to see if he could help, he discovered the dead woman wailing for assistance in a pool of her own blood.
The culprit is said to have left the scene quickly after allegedly committing the horrible crime against his mother, according to the eyewitness.
The deceased was later brought to the hospital on a tricycle with blood all over her body, according to the witness, and was later declared dead there.
“She had since yesterday been buried in accordance with Islamic rites. May Allah forgive her and admit her to paradise,” the witness prayed.
When reached, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the Kano Police Command’s public relations officer, confirmed the incident.
DSP Kiyawa later added, via his verified Facebook page, that they arrested the suspect at a hideout in Dawakin Tofa, after which he (Iro) “confessed to the crime and also confessed to dealing in illicit drug abuse.
He will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.”
