READING CULTURE AND OUR SOCIETY- Bello Sagir

“Even if you’re on the right track, if you are not moving fast enough… you get hit from behind.’’ -Rick Grandinetti

The relationship between Nigerians and reading culture is nothing to write home about. Nigerians read mostly for either exam or work purposes. Students read only the examinable materials with the intent of sailing through exam, while skilled workers read solely to pass promotional exam. You hardly find a person who reads not for one of the above purposes. If you do, then that must be a rarity!

Reading culture, as Prof. Abdallah Uba Adamu puts it, is “the desire to read any literature being motivated by yearning to learn. Reading because you have to pass examination cannot be properly ‘reading culture’, because often the reading stops after the examination has been completed. For proper reading culture, one needs to constantly engage in literary materials in any form, driving pleasure from such activity.”

Well, what one should read as regards reading culture, is actually limitless. Read the holy scriptures, text books, novels, plays, poetries, biographies, memoirs, newspapers, magazines, journals, dictionaries, sign boards, bill boards, inscriptions on cartons, packages, tins, bottles, tubes, sachets, walls or bridges. Read not only English and other foreign languages materials, but read also those in your native language! Read widely in both hard and soft copy materials. Read regardless of the subject matter. Read anything you can lay your hands on. “You can read not only in the library, but also in your room, in the toilet, or in the kitchen or wherever you happen to be” -Prof. Ibrahim Bello Kano (IBK).

Knowledge doubles from time to time depending on its kind. The implication is that, the facts known prior to the doubling will be invalid and replaced by new findings. Some universities in the US offer degrees of limited validity of say, five years, just like a driver’s license. You have to go back after the prescribed years to renew the degree. Until 1900, knowledge doubles approximately every century. By the end of World War II, it doubles every 25 years. Around 2001, knowledge doubles every 18 months. In 2007, knowledge doubles every 3-6 months. In the same year, it was predicted that in 2010, the doubling will be every 34 days. According to IBM, the build out of the “internet of things” will lead to the doubling of knowledge every 12 hours! This requires one to read every day to catch up with the explosion in the quantum of knowledge.

Like I said earlier, in most cases, only students facing exam at school or workers facing promotional exam read. “There is a very very serious problem. Ah! We don’t read, except for the purposes of work or examinations. And this goes even as high up as among the university lecturers. Once they have gotten their PhD and compiled their lecture notes, they don’t do anymore reading. They don’t buy new books. They don’t read any new article that appear. They are just satisfied with the state of knowledge as it was whenever it was that they qualified”- Prof. Munzali Jibril.

In 2012 after the release of Chinua Achebe’divisive memoir, “There Was A Country”, the Nigerian security banned its circulation upon sensing the evil message the book could send which is capable of triggering a fresh civil war in the peaceful country, as the book has every open tendency of provoking the most tolerable Muslim northerner and any non-Igbo Nigerian. But all of a sudden and to our dselight, the ban was lifted. The lift surely must be linked to the realisation by the security agencies that Nigerians, especially the targeted northerners, don’t read. So, the feared danger would not be inplace at all, and so it be!

Our deplorable reading culture is rooted in our cultural tradition, climate and time unconsciousness. In Nigeria or even in Africa as a whole, since time immemorial, we are traditionally inclined to anything oral at the detriment of the written ones. That’s why we are unfriendly to books and all other written materials which make them look bizarre to us. Unlike in Europe, in Nigeria, we have a kind weather that promotes our stay outdoors. In Europe, half of the year is spent in autumn and winter. In this period, a person there must keep himself busy struggling to survive the difficult cold weather, and therefore remains indoors. This encourages them to read religiously at home and even think for innovations and inventions. Little wonder they are where they are today, leaving us lagging behind! Moreover, while a person in Nigeria is reading, he is often interrupted by unscheduled visits by relatives and friends. To turn down such visits is a taboo, therefore for the fsssear of being called names, one succumbs at the expense of one’s reading.

To be broadminded, cosmopolitan, nice, pleasant and tolerant of other people, one needs to have a culture of reading. It enables one to know about oneself and about others. Reading enables one to know how to say “come” and answer the “come” of other human beings. Reading makes one to know what one can do for oneself and for other people. Reading is a desert guide. It is an oasis or voyage that takes one to a lifetime experience. Those who read widely never become the devil’s workshop resulting to drug addiction, kidnapping, armed robbery etc. Reading enlarges the mind. It is an eye opening for entrepreneurial opportunities where a reader learns how to turn his passion into money making venture. Those who read enrich their minds about their history and the history of others. Reading makes one to refine and build his spiritual self, because in Islam and in other Abrahamic religions, reading is what is first recommended for a believer before anything else, and reading/knowledge is encouraged in Islam to be pursued even if it will take one to faraway China.

In conclusion, the importance of reading culture cannot be overemphasized. Lack of reading culture breeds ignorance of oneself and one’s religion which leads to terrorism and all forms of crime.Those who lack reading culture are very likely to be easy prey for being divided on ethnic, sectional, political and religious lines. Hence, one of the solutions to Nigeria’s problems today is the adoption of reading culture among the citizens right at early age. This can be realized by making literature a compulsory subject in all primary and secondary schools. The subject must also be handled by competent teachers, because nothing easily entices one to reading culture like being groomed in literature. Equipping our libraries with more conventional and digital reading materials as well as building new ones will help a lot in solving the problem. There should be at least three or four well-functioning libraries in every local government in the country. Students’ associations like Gwagwarwa Students’ Association (GWASA), my host, in all our wards should consider it as a priority to establish mobile and stationary libraries each in their areas of jurisdiction. This will go a long way in exposing our societies to books, thereby ridding it of all forms of thuggery (dabanci), drug addiction (shaye-shaye) and all sort of crimes. It will make our societies civilized and egalitarian. Despite being far away from the centers of the production of knowledge i.e Europe and Asia, we are still lucky to be in a fortunate digital age. Aside chatting and downloading movies, we can use our smart phones for reading reliable newspapers, downloading e-books, PDFs and educative audios.

A paper presented at a reading campaign lecture organized by Gwagwarwa Students’Association (GWASA), on 22nd October, 2017 at Nassarawa Local Government Local Education Authority (L.E.A), Kano State.

Bello Sagir
Vice President, Northwest
National Association of Linguistics and Languages Students (NALLSnig.)

belsagim@gmail.com/www.bellosagir.blogspot.com/08132518714

REFERENCE
Jibril, M. (2007). Reading Culture in Our Society: It’s Impact on Educational Development. Unpublished Public Lecture Delivered at Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies (AKCILS)

Kano, I. B. (2008). “Why We Should Read and Keep On Reading?”. Unpublished Public Lecture Presented At Gateway International School.

Adamu, A. U. (2017). “People Who Do Not Read Tend to be Ignorant of Everything.” Retrieved On 22nd October, 2017 from Learning Never Ends on www.bellosa gir.blogspot.com

I DO WISH TO ONE DAY BECOME THE GOVENOR OF MY STATE- PAKI

Bello Sagir, the CEO of your favorite blog: 'Learning Never Ends' has cornered and interviewed Comr. Bilal Tijjani Paki, the President Students' Union Government (SUG) BUK, about his administration, his personal life and of course about the larger politics in the country. The BUK no. 001 student, has made so many fresh and interesting revelations that no reader will afford to miss. Enjoy:

LNE: Briefly, tell us who is Comrade Bilal Tijjani Paki?

Paki: Bilal Tijjani Paki is a young gentle man who studies Banking and Finance at Bayero University Kano and he is into school politics and he's the President of Students Union Government of Bayero University, Kano.

LNE: What is your hobby?

Paki: Reading stories, playing games, competing & sleeping

LNE: When are you at your best?

Paki: Addressing crowd.

LNE: Who's your role model?

Paki: Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardauna.

LNE: How did you emerge as BUK SUG President?

Paki: Its a dream that God made a reality.

LNE: What are your achievements so far?

Paki: Extension of examination period to 3 weeks. Extension of UG Registration period by 2 weeks. Extension of Library operating hours in weekends. Provision of Lockers/Safes in front of our main Libraries. Assisting indecent students with Funds to pay their registration fees. Price regulation (this is peculiar to sachet water)

LNE: What of challenges?

Paki: Still battling with Management to approve the opening of lecture rooms & theaters at night which is one of our major campaign promises.

LNE: Recently, you held a by-election. Why?

Paki: It was for some offices which investigation revealed that the occupants of such offices lacked the required (2.80) minimum CGPA to contest for any electoral position in the Students' Union Government of Bayero University, Kano.

LNE: What other positions do you hold, apart from the SUG President?

Paki: Speaker of Nigerian Economics Students' Association in the 2014/2015 Session. Treasurer Students Union Government 2015/2016 Session. Chairman Writers' Forum MSSN BUK 2015 to date.

LNE: How do you reconcile between handling the students' responsibilities and your studies?

Paki: Its really tough, honestly I don't attend my classes like before which is really bothering me. I'm trying to balance both though.

LNE: Now that the first semester exam is fast approaching, what is your special message to the students?

Paki: Read hard, pray hard and avoid examination malpractice.

LNE: What and what will the students of BUK expect more from you?

Paki: Ensuring that classes are opened for night readings during exams and some few others which I wouldn't like to reveal.

LNE: Recently, BUK held its 33rd Convocation, what is your message to the graduates?

Paki: Always remember that their degrees are conferred to them based on the fact that they have been found worthy both in character and learning they should then be good Ambassadors of Bayero University, Kano.

LNE: Students leadership, especially at university level, prepares one for the larger politics after graduation. Do you have any political ambition in some years to come in Nigerian politics?

Paki: Of course I do wish to one day become the Governor of my state.

LNE: What type of person and with what kind of qualities do you want to take over the presidency from you on the expiration of your tenure?

Paki: Trustworthy and hard-working. Sincerely I hope to hand over to someone who could perform more than me.

LNE: Which is the most preferred legacy you want to bequeath as Mr. Presidor?

Paki: That have been achieved which is extension of Examination period to 3 weeks and the Library operation hours to 8-10pm Sun to Mon.

LNE: Considering the tradition of transition from one person to another in Nigerian politics, do you agree that, we are the leaders of tomorrow?

Paki: Of course I do, where was Jonathan Goodluck yesterday?

LNE: Looking at the Comrades in the aluta who are the leaders of tomorrow, do you have hope that Nigeria will change positively in the future?

Paki: Yes.

LNE: What is the clear faith of Nigerian leadership if transfered to the youths?

Paki: There would be more development in all sectors of the Economy.

LNE: As an experienced leader, what do you realize so far as the real problem of Nigerian leadership?

Paki: Greediness.

LNE: How do you plan to make amendments if you are opportuned?

Paki: I wish to serve selflessly.

LNE: What advice do you have for the aluta comerades at BUK and at other universities and institutions?

Paki: They should know that Politics is just a game, we should shun away from hatred and bear in our minds that this is just a starting ground, we all have a brighter future.

LNE: Politics, they say is a dirty game. Is aluta also a dirty game?

Paki: No, its only a game of interest.

LNE: What is your comment on this blog, 'Learnin Never Ends' which is on www.bellosagir.blogspot.com?

Paki: Very Educative.

LNE: What is your final word?

Paki: Don't limit your selves to limitation cherio, sky is our limit.

LNE: Thank you Mr. President!

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI- Bello Sagir

I feel compelled to write to you, your excellency, in order to bring to your notice a camouflaged corruption in this country, particularly at this part of the year which is high time for its perpetrators. This corruption leads to what, when observed critically, is the mother of all corruptions in Nigeria. These are Miracle Centers which leads to exam malpractice.

A Miracle Center is an exam center where even the dullest of students is guaranteed to pass with 'flying colours'! It's a very lucrative venture that enriches instantly. This attracts more people to invest in it on an alarming rate. The centers are established in all the main cities across the country. They register students who are desperate to pass WAEC, NECO, JAMB, and what not. Their patronizers are mostly the children of the elites, and those who have been sitting for the said exams over and over again without success. Among them are students who have attended JSS one to SS two at their respective private schools, but ironically lost confidence of making success at once at the schools. There are also students who lost confidence in public schools who also go for the Miracle Centers. Sir, a couple of years back when Bayero University Kano (BUK) offered admission for me to read LLB, and I couldn't make it in my WAEC, I contacted one of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of such Miracle Centers who was among the front runners in the business in the state. I was there for an inquiry. When I asked him what compensation would await their registered student who failed their exam. He replied to me out of disappointment that, they didn't think of failure in their center, as success is always guaranteed! He went further to tell me the number of courses to pass and the kind of grades desired are negotiable. The higher the number or grades the higher the charge. Despite my passionate long existing ambition to became a lawyer and to qualify as a Law student, I must present a WAEC with a minimum of six credits including Maths, English and Literature in English to the screening committee of BUK, I couldn't succumb to the Miracle Center boss. To validate the saying: 'A friend in need, is a friend indeed', my good friend offered to help and connect me with another Miracle Center boss at the host state of NECO: Niger, who demanded a huge pay for his service, because it seemed his center was even more miraculous than the earlier one. 'Pay today and get any result you want tomorrow!' will serve as the best motto for the boss. I sent the two third of the money. But on the very day, just few hours before the delivery of my miraculous result, I changed my mind and demanded that he refund me. He did so. I was astonished, but later learned that there must be the influence of the go between in the refunding. Had I didn't refuse to sing the song of corruption, I would have become a Lawyer by now or about to be, but with a forged result, courtesy of the Miracle Center. Imagine the kind of lawyer I would have been or about to be. The Niger based center is indeed more miraculous than miracle as they took all precautions to block all the gateways for tracing the forgery. The boss, to calm me down, reassured to me that they have being in the business for quite many years with no record of issues with the security agencies and the court.

Your excellency, these Miracle Centers promote different forms of corruption. For instance, they do not become content with the unbelievably high sum paid, but they keep extorting money from their customers from the day of registration up to the day of collection of result until they milk their customers dry! Some female candidates get waivers or free registration after they battered their body. Above all, Miracle Centers promote exam malpractice which is the mother of all corruptions, when looked critically. Candidates that can cheat, will, or to be mild, can cheat public treasury, because they claim the knowledge they don't legitimately possess. This is similar to how some government officials claim the money they steal from public treasury. Such culprits extend the malpractice to universities, and if not caught, graduate, claiming the knowledge they don't possess at all. At the end, they become teachers teaching little or nothing to students, or engineers/architects designing and building week structures that suffer premature collapse which swallows lives and wealth, or doctors that becomes dangerous to the life of the patients, etcetera.

Educationally, Miracle Centers diminishes the past glory of learning in the country, especially at secondary schools level: most students don't mind to concentrate on their studies, for there exist a Miracle Centers at their disposal. Some of them use their study time to watch football and argue about it, some take drugs, or chat or play games or watch movies or sit at hangouts gossiping and planing evils. Others use such time to disturb the public or go to clubs etcetera. Students get the impression that, knowledge shouldn't be learned but rather be bought. It is also part of the disadvantages of Miracle Centers that it earns disrespect to teachers and teaching thereby relegating education to the background. 'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.' - Nelson Mandela'. If this quote along other points mentioned above are anything to go by, then it can be concluded that, Miracle Centers are no. 1 killer of education in Nigeria! These centers' bosses, who are at the same time the proprietors, as it's the norm in our society these days, are valued and respected in a way that some universities, emirate councils and NGOs in the country honour and crown them with honourary Doctorate degrees, chieftanicy titles and awards. What a misplaced honour! I think if only the corrupts are honoured in Nigeria, corruption is redefined as legal and moral. I think this suggests that the unsung heroes in our localities are not worthy of such honour because they are free from corrupt wealth to bribe and buy such honour. I think the case is not the same in America and in other developed countries that we always claim to emulate and therefore aspire to be like them. I think the society should desist from according respect to such corrupt people, for that is an encouragement to them: essentially, once honour is accorded not to whom it deserves, the society then begin to perish, for instance, the way, according to some people, Nigeria begins to perish now.

Your excellency, These centers, going by the way the parents regularly pay for the registration of their children and encourage them to cooperate to the centers, the illegality is reshaped to be legality or to be mildly, condonable crime. To accomplish a true success in your anti corruption crusade, Miracle Centers in Nigeria should cease to exist: your excellency, canceal and replace them with guidance and counseling centers all over the country to be manned by experienced teachers and lecturers. Let these centers be organizing series of enlightenment lectures to all secondary schools graduating students before WAEC/NECO and JAMB registration commence, with the intent of curbing the menace of exam malpractice. Let them also use conventional and social media to campaign against the menace. More so, religious and traditional leaders should be involved.

It's high time EFCC and ICPC turned their direction to 'Miracle Centers', for they are the number one killer of education in Nigeria because I believe, they are not above the law, especially in your administration that belong to everybody and belong to nobody!

Bello Sagir writes from Kano
08132518714/belsagimyahoo.com.

#Share until PMB or his media aids read it!

(C) Bello Sagir 2017.

LNE INTERVIEW: PEOPLE WHO DO NOT READ TEND TO BE IGNORANT OF EVERYTHING- PROF. ABDALLA UBA ADAMU

This time, the blog: 'Learning Never Ends (LNE)' has a big guest in person of Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu. Prof. holds double professorships in Science Education in 1997 and Media and Cultural Communication in 2012 at a time (and still) when the later is not popular among African scholars, from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. He attended 32 academic conferences across the glove and wrote 85 academic research papers. At BUK, to be a Professor, a PhD holder is required to write 15 academic research papers to qualify. Professor Adamu is a visiting Professor in many universities in the world. He is currently the Vice Chancellor (VC) of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). He invented a computer software that provided the six Hausa hooked characters: (Ɗ, ƙ, ɗ, ɓ, Ƙ, and Ɓ) as font sets to facilitate Hausa word processing in 1996. Beside being an academic, he produced a film entitled: 'Equestrian Elegance' reviewed by Carmen McCain which is downloadable free of charge on Youtube.

In this exclusive interview with Bello Sagir, the scholar unveiled many things, for instance, when, where and how does reading culture start. The book that is dangerous to be read. The book that is a must read by all human beings. The recommended pages to be read daily. The childhood book he returns to again and again. What makes him buy a book at the bookshop. The book he did not finish and his advice to the blogger. Also in the interview, the dual Prof. made comparism between the reading culture in developed countries and in Africa and how it can be used to restore peace and political normalcy in the continent, and what not.

Enjoy:

LNE: What's reading culture?

PROF: The desire to read any literature being motivated by yearning to learn. Reading because you have to pass examinations cannot be properly 'reading culture' because often the reading stops after the examinations have been completed. For proper reading culture, one needs to constantly engage in literary materials in any form, deriving pleasure from such activity.

LNE: When, where and how does it start?

PROF: Home is the best starting point, with parents. When a child grows up in a home full of books and sees his own parents reading, he will also want to read. Religious texts like the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith are all available everywhere. Reading them is the starting point for inculcation of reading culture.

LNE: What are the types of reading?

PROF: Reading is reading, so there is no categorization in the process. However, there are different types of reading materials and motives for reading. Perhaps the dominant reading category for many people is one geared towards passing set examinations. This will be in the form of textbooks and other technical journals. Religious texts such as the Qur'an and the Bible also provide a category of reading materials which are read for spiritual fulfillment. Then there are secular materials, such as magazines, newspapers, fiction, which are read for pleasure and learning.

LNE: What are the impediments to reading?

PROF: If the culture of reading has not been established early enough in a person, this would constitute a primary impediment. Secondly, lack of the materials to read can also constitute a problem. But I said, almost every home has a religious text in the form of the Qur'an or the Bible, and therefore there are reading materials at home. In this era of Smartphones and cheap data availability in Nigeria, most people have access to a massive variety of reading materials through the Internet. The issue, therefore, of impediment is no longer physical, but psychological.

LNE: What are the advantages of reading?

PROF: It provides incidental education - that is education not specifically aimed at achieving a particular target. It makes a person more objective, for they are aware of the world and how different and similar it is to their own perceptions of life. It therefore makes a person more tolerant of other people's opinions and perspectives. It instills respect; for the lack of respect is often fueled by ignorance of other people, which is caused by inability to read about the other people.

LNE: What of diasvantages, if any?

PROF: Ignorance, for one. People who don't read tend to be ignorant of everything. Even religion; for religious ignorance is caused by inability to read religious texts and know what the religion actually enjoins you to do. Lack of perspective on the world is another disadvantage, because a person who does not read will not appreciate other cultures since they won't know much about them - only what they are told.

LNE: Is there a book that is dangerouse to be read? If yes, which is it?

PROF: It is not the book that is dangerous. It is the reader.

LNE: Is there a book that is a must read by all human beings? If yes, which is it?

PROF: Every book is important to all human beings, for it summarizes human knowledge. I would put the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Bible as the primary most important books to be read by humanity, for these are the sum total of human experience and existence.

LNE: How is reading culture in other parts of the world?

PROF: Literature cultures that promote publishing and freedom of expression

LNE: How is the reading culture in comparism to that of Africa?

PROF: It is better and more developed in other parts of the world than Africa because the opportunities for literacy in these other communities are higher.

LNE: What role does poor reading culture plays in making Africa lags behind and how can it be used to restore peace and political normalcy in the continent?

PROF: Encourage more reading among younger elements

LNE: Sir Abubakar Tabawa Balewa, being a full time politician by then, was reported to have read the whole collections in a certain public library, how's reading culture among Nigerian contemporary politicians?

PROF: I don't know. You have to ask them yourself since I can't speak for them or on their behalf.

LNE: Some Nigerians attribute their poor or no reading culture to lack of time, does the assertion hold water?

PROF: I am not sure where they get their information, so I can't speak for them.

LNE: How's reading culture among Nigerian youths?

PROF: This has to be measured empirically in a research

LNE: What are the recommended pages to be read daily?

PROF: The Holy Qur'an and the Holy Bible.

LNE: How can you describe the loss a non-reading cultured person make?

PROF: Breeds ignorance

LNE: What are the steps for inculcating reading culture?

PROF: Encourage people to read from youth.

LNE: If we imagine that reading never existed, how could life have being?

PROF: Reading always existed. Long before books and paper, people were reading signs to understand nature.

LNE: What are the ways to revive reading culture?

PROF: Encourage more reading among youth through reading clubs

LNE: How can you describe your passion for reading/books?

PROF: Great

LNE: What childhood book do you return to again and again?

PROF: Treasure Island

LNE: What is the last book you read?

PROF: No Man's Land by David Baldacci

LNE: What are you currently reading?

PROF: Night School by Lee Child

LNE: Who is the most effective author that influenced you to became who you are?

PROF: Ayn Rand, author of The Fountainhead

LNE: What makes you buy a book at the bookshop?

PROF: The author and the title

LNE: What was the last book you bought?

PROF: Night School by Lee Child

LNE: What book did you not finish?

PROF: The Lord of the Rings by J.R. Tolkien

LNE: What are your favourite books?

PROF: All the novels of Robert Ludlum, Lee Child, Ayn Rand.

LNE: Two bonus books after the above?

PROF: None

LNE: What time of the day do you prefer for reading?

PROF: Before lights out

LNE: What is the book that makes you a writer?

PROF: I am a researcher, not fiction writer, so there is no specific book that ignited the process.

LNE: What is your comment about the blog: 'Learning Never Ends' which is on www.bellosagir.blogspot.com?'

PROF: Never even heard about it.

LNE: What's your advice to the blogger?

PROF: Keep it up.

LNE: What's your advice to other reading public about the blog?

PROF: Patronize.

Thank you very much for squeezing in this interview, sir.

(C) Learning Never Ends, 2016.

INAUGURAL SPEECH OF BELLO SAGIR, THE PRESIDENT OF 2016/17 LINGUISTIC STUDENT ASSOCIATION (LINSA), BAYERO UNIVERSITY KANO (BUK) CHAPTER

We thank the Almighty God for preserving our lives to witness this historic great day. Distinguish ladies and gentlemen, I wish to recognize the presence of the Head of Department (H.O.D), Linguistics and Foreign Languages Prof. Mukhtar Yusuf, Professors, Examination Officer Dr. Tijjani Shehu Almajir, Drs., Level Coordinators, academic and non-academic staff, securities, Student Union Government (SUG) President and his entourage, celebrants, their family and friends, outgoing and incoming Linguistic Student Association (LINSA) Excos, my colleagues of all levels, not forgetting my comrades in struggle, bon soir.

Today, the 29th of October, 2016 witnesses the inauguration of a new administration brought with the mandate of you the students of the Department, making me the third President of LINSA, not because I'm better then any of you, but because Almighty God wants to test me! May the test be easy and passable to me. The campaign and the uncertainties are now history. At this juncture I chant Gbosa! Gbosa! Gbosa! to all my direct and indirect campaign agents. If not for your comradeship, perhaps, my aluta fate would have been otherwise at this moment. Likewise, I chant another vibrant Gbosa! Gbosa! Gbosa! to you Auwal Ibrahim (Small) who is sitting right now facing me. It's still vivid in my minds eyes, how you, as my key opponent, volunteered and stepped down for me, solely in the spirit of Linguistic oneness. This is a rare political statesmanship.

I, Bello Sagir, standing before you to make some pledges and to solicit for your boundless support and constant prayers as we are all set to sail the ship to the Promised Land, aimed at making positive academic and social impact on the lives of you, the students.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the priority of our administration is establishing tutorial classes for all levels. We will organize tutorial on all the Linguistic and French course for all classes. We will make use of the students with good CGPA who are capable and interested to sacrifice and do the job. We will go the extra mile to run a purposeful and students oriented leadership as we promised during our campaign, within the limited one year span of our tenure. To achieve that, we will provide suggestion box in the Department to collect your short positive inputs which will bridge any possible gap between you and we the Executives. We will also provide you with all the mobiles numbers of the Executives for quick positive input.

Due to some lacuna and other shortcomings in the constitution of the Association, we will set up a committee that will tackle that problem. To conform to the other chapters of National Association of Linguistics and Languages Students (NALLS) in the universities across the country, and the parent Association headquartered in University of Nsuka, Enugu, we intend to change the name of LINSA to NALLS. We will liaise with the Department, faculty and the University authority to achieve our aims of taking you, the students of the Department to greater height. More so, we will liaise with national body of NALLS, SUG, Faculty of Art and Islamic Studies Students Association (FAISSA) and any other relevant helpful association to take you to the next level.

Today, by virtue of our inauguration, we will continue the aluta journey initiated by our predecessors four years or so ago. We must commend their unflagging efforts. May God reward them in abundance.

I, Bello Sagir, wish to declare that, 'I'm concerned about your concern as a concerned Comrade.' We will carry all of you along, in discharging our duties. Our government is a government of the students, by the students and for the students. The entire students of Linguistics and Foreign Languages Department are one, yes we are one, belonging to one family. The herculean task before us is a collective responsibility that we the Executives alone cannot do any tangible thing without your continued support and prayers as well as constructive criticism. Therefore, we reiterate our need for your commitment, support and prayers in due course.

This speech is valueless without congratulating our seniors, the academic warriors who have just graduated. We pray that Almighty God will make their life after graduation a much blessed one. We also congratulate all those who have rounded off their second semester examinations, we wish you all the best and welcome you to the next class.

Special Infaidagu to all our fatherly lectures who put in all their best to mould us to be educated citizens with good character so that we become productive in giving our quota for national development. May Allah increase them in health and wealth, elongate their lives with blessings, and finally admit them in Jannatul Firdaus, Amin.

In conclusion, we say adupe to all our lecturers, daalụ to the celebrants, mun gode to Linguistic Student Association Independent Electoral Committee (LINSAIECO), miyetti to ex-Excos of LINSA, and kubeti to all others who contributed in any way in bringing us into the mantle of LINSA as Excos. Similarly, we say, dank je to the family and friends of the celebrants, obrigado to SUG President and his entourage, grazie to (FAISSA) President and his entourage, mercie to Chairman Zero Tolerance for Corruption and all other EXCOS and members of other associations. May God return all of you home safely. God Bless Linguistics and Foreign Languages Department. God bless LINSA. God bless BUK! Dear fellow students, WE LOVE YOU ALL!

Bello Sagir
President
2016/17 Linguistic Student Association (LINSA)
29/10/16.

HAUSA MAN: YESTERDAY AND TODAY by Bello Sagir Imam

Published in Daily Trust of 16/08/16 on page 42. Enjoy!

[Historically, the ancestral Bahaushe (Hausa man) is dark complexioned, short big, flat nosed and wide mouthed. This description is now nearly a history due to inter-marriages between Bahaushe and non-Bahaushe. Hausawa (Hausa men) are known to cling to their culture. Except their religion which was formally 'Maguzanci' (traditional religion) and lately Islam. Nothing superseded their tradition. The easiest way to distinguish Hausawa from members of other Nigerian ethnic groups, in an inter-ethnic gathering was their firm grip on their culture in terms of their dressing, dish, architecture, you mention it. Whoever in the gathering were bound by their tradition are, no doubt, typical Hausawa. This does not only apply to Nigerian inter-ethnic gathering, it does so to non-Nigerian as well. 

[Yesterday, Hausawa hardly took their supper alone, they, along with other neighbors used to dish in an encircled arena. Each of them would present his food, commonly known as “Tuwo and Miyar Kuka”, to the circle and the meals one after the other would be eaten by the group, until they are all satisfied. The left over was then given to hungry beggars (known as Almajiris) who normally used to hang around in anticipation of being call to collect the left over. This exercise is called 'ciyayya', literally meaning 'eating together'. Whoever among the participating men could not afford the supper would still enjoy the group meal, that way it became apparent to his friends that he was possibly financially handicapped. if this lasted for long, the other men would assist him with food stuff and cooking ingredients. If among the normal participants one was not able to show up for two or more occasions, other members would ask for him. Some could even go to the extent of sending for him or even inquiring from his wife. If he was befallen by sickness or any form of calamity, they would mitigate the predicament by praying and offering financial assistance individually or collectively to his family.

[Yesterday, virginity of an unmarried lady is very sacred. Most unmarried female Hausawa are virgin. Loosing virginity is losing life, and therefore the worst pre-marital crime by a Bahaushiya. To confirm the virginity of a lady before she was conveyed to her matrimonial house, a ritual had to be conducted and if a girl was found guilty, she would instantly die. If for certain reasons the ritual was not conducted, and after the couple spent the first night, the groom found the bride already deflowered, the fresh marriage would be terminated. Before the termination, his female relatives out of curiosity to confirm whether or not their inlaw took her virginity to their brother's room, would visit his room a day after the bride conveyance. They would be very observant of any sign no matter how slight it might be, leading to the affirmation of the purity of the bride. If for example, they saw a broken plate or calabash in the room, which the groom would break after sleeping with the bride and finding her unsealed, to signal the virgin status of his wife to whoever went to confirm it. But if no sign was seen, then the visitors would outsmart the lady by asking her to bring water to them which she would bring possibly in a calabash. When they received the water and they found the calabash broken, then every doubt was dispelled. She was already disvirgined out of wedlock!] 

Yesterday, Hausawa hardly knew courtship before their most marriages. In the couple of marriages where courtship was done, the chat between the lady and the guy at all times took place at night. The young man in the company of his bosom friend would send a boy to the house of the young girl to call her for the chat. This is a tradition which used to take place at night. In Hausa this is call 'zance'. 'Tana zuwa' meaning she was coming was usually the reply by the errand boy. He would then give the boy some few 'kobo' as a gift to show some appreciation. Happily the boy will run back to their house while laughing mouth to ear. The chat was characterized by ultimate modesty between the trio. They sat not at whispering distance, with the girl, uttering no word except nodding or shaking her coyly bowed head.

Bahausshiya hardly collected 'Kudin Zance', meaning chat gift, from her boyfriend when he offered her. He would insist she collect but she could not succumb. This was a form of modesty enshrined in Hausa Culture and norms. At the end he would place the money beside her. The coy lady would take the money after her lover and his friend disappeared. Arranged and kinship marriages are the major kinds of Hausawa's marriages. Peace reined in such marriages. It took quite many years before you hear of any squabble.

[The habit of Hausawa at that time can be illustrated in Hausa Proverb 'Naka naka ne ko yaci naman ka ba zai tauna kashin ba' meaning, 'man's home is his castle'.]  

That was Hausawa by then. Today, the story is becoming something else, to some extent. Hausawa's appearance is now transformed to a different looks, beautiful, should I say, even though beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. This is because of inter-marriages with Fulani, Nupe, Barebari etcetera. Their intermarriages with Fulani had greatly impacted them linguistically, and thus the journalists brought about the claim of Hausa-Fulani. Today, the word 'ciyayya' is not popular in the modern Hausawa's dictionary. Some female unmarried Hausawa have begun to change. Some of them are lured by money or other worldly things and allow themselves to be deflowered out of wed lock.

Today, some Hausawa have begun to develop the habit of divorcing their wives on a preventable or solvable marital crises. Leaving behind the divorcee's children with him in the hand of step mother, some of whom do not treat the step children 'agola' with fairness. Some young men and women spend some years in courtship but cannot spend such years spent in courtship in the marriage. [It all of a sudden break.

Today, partying, cutting cake, and reception to celebrate a wedding is becoming more acceptable to some Hausawa. Not long ago, a groom divorced his bride on the day their marriage was contracted just few minutes before her conveyance to him because he confirmed that the wedding party he opposed was sponsored by the ex-boyfriend of the bride and therefore was taking place.

[Today, some Hausawa youth dress in earth down and pensu/pensir trousers style, balatoli hair style and swag. The recent one is 'Dab' style or dance imported into Nigeria by Olamide. Dab originated five year or so ago. As the American rapper Bow wow said, it was a practice of cannabis community. This phenomenon have become popular among some Hausa youth recently.] 

Today, some Hausawa have formed the habit of looking down at their fellow Hausa's who study Hausa as a course in tertiary institution or university. If you ask them to write one paragraph in Hausa, some of them can't do so correctly. British, Arabs and French men study their respective languages with pride.

[The names: Emiratus Prof. Dandatti Abdulkadir, Prof. Yaro Yahaya, Prof. M. K. Galadanci, Prof. Abdulkadir Dangambo, Prof. Abdallah Uba Adamu and few others must be written in gold as strong and unshakable scholastic pillars in Hausa scholarship in Nigeria and beyond.]

Finally, decline in cultural values is not limited to some Hausawa only, some other ethnic groups in the country also face the same or even worse problem. In fact, this is a universal phenomenon due to globalization and the effect of modernity. Hausawa ought to inculcate their culture most of which are good. In fact Hausa culture is one of the best in the country and in Africa by extension. Looking at the modern Hausawa, you find the Hausa proverb that 'Bahaushe mai ban haushi...' Credible, meaning, Hausa man an angree maker. Bahaushe says, 'Kowa yabar gida gida ya barshi'!

NB: The square bracketed parts in this blog were not included in the article published by Daily Trust.

Bello Sagir Imam is a member Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Kano Branch.

08132518714/belsagim@gmail.com
 

NIGERIA'S RECOVERED FUND: IF I WERE BUHARI- Bello Sagir Imam

The world perceives Nigeria as synonymous with corruption, that's why the '2016 Best Countries Ranking' placed the country in the No. 1 position among the world 10 most corrupt nations. The inclusion of other countries, particularly Russia, the second most powerful nation in the world as No. 6 justifies that corruption is a global phenomenon not just peculiar to Nigeria. Corruption is what brings Nigeria to its knees and thus blackpaints it in the eyes of the world.

Top on the presidential campaign agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari for 2015 election was war against the endemic graft, and immediately he assumed power after being democratically elected, he set up a 7 member advisory committee to help him crack down corruption. The membership of the committee was drawn from the academia, with Professors in Criminology and Law who are well known for uncompromising on fighting against corruption. Having set up the committee, the Aso Villa announced the creation of Treasury Single Account (TSA) which ordered all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to pay all government revenues, incomes and receipts into the TSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This, according to the federal government, is aimed at promoting transparency and compliance to section 80 and 162 of the 1999 Constitution.

Buhari's fight against corruption is recording huge success as his administration has succeeded in making a lot of recoveries of siphoned public funds. Details published by the Federal Ministry of Information, disclosed that the Nigerian government successfully retrieved total cash amounting to: N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, £3,508,355.46 and €11, 250 between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016. Also released were recoveries under interim forfeiture, which were a combination of cash and assets, during the same period: N126,563,481,095.43, $9,090,243,920.15, £2,484,447.55 and€303,399.17. Anticipated repatriation from foreign countries totalled: $321,316,726.1, £6,900,000 and €11,826.11. The ministry also announced that 239 non-cash recoveries were made during the one-year period. The non-cash recoveries are – farmlands, plots of land, uncompleted buildings, completed buildings, vehicles and maritime vessels, the ministry said. This gigantic retrieval is from Rtd. Col. Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser to Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and others. Also the retrieval came from those who voluntarily returned their loot to the federal government. These figures were made public by the presidency on 6th June 2016 when Nigerians had a high expectation that the president would publicize the figures along with the names of the suspected corrupt public officers involved as he promised twice but he failed to do so. He first promised to publicize it on 29th May but on the D-Day postponed it to the 6th June and still failed, something that generated mixed reaction: some expressed their disappointment while others expressed approval. I believe the President's failure to keep his words might be in compliance with a legal counsel probably informed by what Mal. Nuhu Ribadu, the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says: 'When you fight corruption, it fights back', meaning, attaching names to the figures might plunge the presidency into a serious legal suit with the affected people, because 1999 Nigerian Constitution, 2011 Nigerian Evidence Act and 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights all guarantees presumption of innocence of an accused person until the prosecution proves his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. That is in section 36(5) of the constitution, section 135. (1) of the Evidence Act and Article 7(1)(b) Charter

Shortly after assuming duty, the Chairman of the Advisory Committee, Prof. Itse Sagay, said that an account has been set up for the recovered fund. This is a glad tiding. Since then, we didn't hear from the federal government or the committee on what they are going to do with the fund. We have good expectation on the administration that they will not miss the recovered money.

If I were President Buhari, I will invest the money in what will directly have positive impact on the life of the common man, which can be an independent dividend from the dividends the administration will bequeath to us. In other words, the money should not be submerged in the TSA, doing so will make the ordinary man on the street not to point or touch concrete projects as a an investment of his recovered wealth but rather only assume that the money was just invested in an abstract project that will only benefit the elite. Essentially, let the government create something like Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) whose projects are still enjoyed by the common man and can be physically touched by him. Projects such as: construction and equipment of hospitals, schools, factories, roads, boreholes etc, across the geo-political zones in the country. This could be done after the government secured conviction over the cases now on trial about the money, because the money now is just an exhibit. The fund may be named 'Recovered Money Fund' (RMF) or any other suitable name. A lawyer/judge or a police/army retired or serving can chair the fund, but he must be of proven integrity.

Bello Sagir Imam is a member, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Kano State Branch.
08057680032/08132518714/belsagim@gmail.com/www.bellosagirimam.com

(C) Bello Sagir Imam 2016.

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