By Garba Musa
As Tuesday 3rd January, 2023 marked your second year of departing this world, I deemed it expedient to write you and give a rendition of some going-ons in the Kano that you so much cherished and Nigeria as a whole.
I can tell you, the generality of our citizens missed you so much and wished you were alive to talk straight to the powers that be, without fear or contradiction.
Sir, you may be aware that the good family you left behind are doing very well and are all fine.
They have, in their gifted magnanimity, given an office to your pet association; the Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative (KCCI) free of charge. Yes, they have taken after you, the generosity you were known of.
And talking about Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative (KCCI), you may remain proud that your good friend, Shehu Usman Mohammad (Sarkin Shanu) has replaced you as Chairman without rancour.
We are together keeping the flag flying. Meetings, Conferences and other visitations were still being observed with the dedication that you showed and taught us.
The Ramadan Welfare Funds and Hospital Patients Assistance were done with members’ assistance satisfactorily.
Other activities includes but not limited to Women Agricultural Loan in conjunction with Bank of Agriculture (BOA) whose Managing Director Alwan Hassan is our member. The organization held a confab on accessing the facilities of Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) for Small and Medium Enterprises in Kano in Association with Shehu Dalhatu Foundation (SDF) in August 2023 at Dangote Business School, Bayero University, Kano. It was a real success story as the Managing Director, Dr. Tony and his management staff came to Kano personally for the advocacy meeting.
As you may be aware, times have changed these past two years you departed. Peoples behavior and value system have changed drastically.
The hardship and lack of empathy to the needy have gone hay-wire and killings have become a daily happening in our life. A son killed his father some few days ago in Kano. Tudun Yola Quarters of all places.
A high society lady also killed her business partner or boyfriend living in her matrimonial home. How? You may ask. Really strange in this part of the country.
Nobody to draw the attention of compatriots like you used to do. Majority of our townsmen and women are only concerned with politics. Who gets what and how to also get close and benefit. Too bad to say the least.
I know you would like to know the outcome of the year 2023 elections which you worked so hard to bring a change for the better.
Your quest for a new set of politicians with integrity and proven track-record was not possible due to lack of voter education and the corrupt system at play. The revolution may be long to come.
However, in Kano it is still morning. The elections had taken the State to a series of litigations of who wins what and the Supreme Court will determine whether the NNPP won the gubernatorial election or the APC.
We pray for peace and tranquility in Kano as any trouble may backfire throughout the Nation (God forbid). The young guy could not make it, nor was our own member, Malam Ibrahim Khalil. They all accepted defeat with maturity and equanimity.
May Allah save Kano and Nigeria as a whole, as you prayed always.
On the economic front, Nigerians have never had it so dim. Dollar that determines our well being and economic prowess went out of hand as it exchanged for N1,600 to N1,800.
Fuel is now N670 per litre. I ran away from a filling station at Kofar Na’isa that sells at N685.00. That’s how bad the situation is in Nigeria.
You would have been moved to tears when the almighty Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele changed the colour of the naira in the denominations of N200, N500 and N1,000 and you can cut the people’s anguish with a knife. There was no money in circulation. Banks could not pay, neither were the POS agents. The country turned to barter trade of the olden days, where applicable.
A customer, due to the hardship in accessing cash at a bank, went naked in the glare of all eyes, crying “give me my money”. Such was the situation in the year 2023. Subhanallah!
I have to tell you that the efforts of the man who thanked you profusely for giving him a huge support when he came to Kano, Brigadier Buba Marwa (rtd) was gaining fruition, though daunting. On a daily basis, drugs were intercepted by men of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agent (NDLEA) at an alarming rate.
The destination as you are aware is towards Northern youths by the smugglers whom everybody knows. The situation requires not only the resilience and dedication of its chairman, but we need to pray and keep our eyes on the youth and the Ibo suppliers.
Coupled with this is the continued kidnapping and conversion of our children to Christianity by the Southerners. Former First Lady Patience Jonathan, may be right when she scooped us that ”we born children we cannot maintain”.
And so they came and kidnap them. Just seven days ago, seven children were rescued from kidnappers who renamed them with Christian names.
Our Chairman was among those that were invited to the Bompai Headquarters of Kano Police Command to witness the handing over of the kidnapped children to their parents.
There are still many of our kidnapped children in Anambra State, identified by their parents, but they don’t have the power to retrieve them. Sometimes it is good to be away from these all. I envy you, oh, Chairman.
Upon all the above, Sir, your prized compatriots, Aliko Dangote and Abdussamad Rabiu (BUA) are at dagger’s drawn with each other due to business disagreements. Recall that you made them to be good friends.
They, together, attended the First Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative Grand Confab before you left us.
You will be surprised that today they have bought advert spaces in the media, accusing one another of being a cheat! Even the people of Zazzau were laughing at us.
Can you imagine. Wallahi, you could have invited them for a meeting which will not escalate to the level they reached. Really, unfortunate. May Allah bring peace to their controversies.
We hope for a better Nigeria and an end to current hardship as the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised at his New Year message.
Already, the Dangote Refinery is coming on stream with nearly three million barrels of crude being pumped to it. Also Port Harcourt Refinery is being test-run to return to work. We pray it is not the usual promises of politicians.
The Federal Government also intends to cultivate a huge acreages of agricultural land in Jigawa State for wheat production, while licence for rice importers was being considered. Perhaps, the hardship we face will be assuaged with affordable food and cheap petroleum.
Let me allow you to ruminate over all the above. They are only a tip of the iceberg.
I will also hasten to condole you over the death of your beloved sister, Hajiya Rabi and her son, Rt. Honourable Ghali Umar Na’Abba, former speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives. May Allah accept them in Aljannatul firdaus.
I will keep you posted on other happenings when next l write, God-willing. Your associates are arranging your second anniversary lecture on Saturday 20th January, 2024. I will keep you posted, in sha Allah.
Meanwhile, continue to rest in peace. May Allah continue to have mercy on you.
Musa lives in Kano.