Governor Mohammed Bago holds sway in Niger State. And there, he calls the shots. He loves his North with passion. He insists it is still as monolithic as ever.
Dictionary tags “monolithic” as “large, powerful, indivisible and slow to change.” Bago cherishes these fine attributes, except its defect, “slow to change.”
This is worrisome to him. And he detests it like a pandemic. He has fixed his gaze on this. Striving to expunge it. And he means business.
He perceives it quite correctly. His dear North is in deep distress. He sees his once gigantic North sinking. Going down the drain. Gasping with all the strength in it for a desperate breath.
This calamity must be halted, he charged himself. This disaster must not be made to happen. Otherwise, it will monumental. That motivated him to come out strongly last week Tuesday. And he did showcase his real element. His concerns are true. You would want to identify with him.
Bago has demonstrated that he’s not comfortable with his North yet. Its plight is disgusting. He won’t rest until he takes the North out of the woods.
His mechanised farming project is doing just that. It’s making strong waves. He’s in the forefront of revolutionising agriculture in the North. In it, Bago is extremely pleased.
Inspired and encouraged. He’s now becoming more desirous and daring. He has a heavy burden on his mind for his North. He speaks it to the region and its rulers. Of which he is one:
“The North has the problem of school enrolment and we as leaders of the region must find a solution to this problem so that our children can be educated.” What is his way out?
“I suggest that the English language should only be taught in primary and secondary schools in the North as a subject but not as a language of instruction.” His ultimate destination:
“I urge my colleagues in the region to review the education curriculum and adopt Hausa as the language of teaching in the region.” His reason: “This will go a long way to inspire enrolment and facilitate understanding among pupils and students. The northern governors should consider adopting it to reduce the rate of out-of-school children (OOSC).”
Bago’s fears are genuine. Even the hurriedly established National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children failed the North. It has not impacted positively on OOSC. The figure keeps soaring. Sadly, Federal Government and UNESCO are vehemently insisting on contending OOSC figures.
Government won’t give up. And UNESCO won’t cave in. Government stands firm on 10.5 million OOSC. UNESCO doubted it. Instead, it threw a 20.4 million figure at government.
Both, however, agreed: “Over 60 per cent of the children (OOSC) are from the North.” And that confirmed Bago’s fears. All he yearns for is to use Hausa language to bring the disheartening figure down.
Let’s pity Bago. But that queer proposal shows the confused mind-set of some elites. It gives them away easily. They still hold that jaundiced belief that their North remains “one North.” That gave him the audacity to fly his wobbling kite.
He goofed and erred! He did not sufficiently realise that’s long gone. Their rigid one North belonged to old, odd history. It was truly once a forced one North. It used to pride itself as one. But that’s no more.
The stark reality: There are many norths in the North presently. Just as there are many countries in country Nigeria.
However, Bago was successful in sending us a cheering message. Let’s appreciate him for that singular act. That message won’t be lost on us. We will never be that careless.
It is clear: There are peoples in the North who have no business being in the North. And for whatever reason; under any circumstance. Nothing to attract them.
Nothing favours their forced stay in the North. Not language, geography, culture, values, emotions, sentiments, inspirations. No affinity whatsoever. They are far poles apart.
Bago is driven by uncanny ambition. He wants all these distinct peoples to abandon their cherished values. Particularly their languages. And embrace Hausa. As the language of instruction and teaching.
That’s nauseating, irritating. Bago knows very well. Majority of people are not Hausa. The very reason his kite will never fly. It will crash at take-off. No serious mind will take him seriously. Or, will you?
Tribes, ethnic groups in the North are countless. And some are wrongly wired to the North. Of course, for selfish and ulterior motives. To swell their false “huge” population. They so intended it. And it has worked wonders for them.
The classical samplers are the Yoruba in Kwara and Kogi states. Even remotely, they have no business being in the North. The old North variously used them as cannon fodders when the unhealthy union lasted. They were complete strangers; body, soul and spirit in the North! They never belonged to that North. And that North never belonged to them.
They stuck and stick to their root in the West. That’s where they rightly belong. They have their root firmly rooted in Ile-Ife. The only source they know. Any other is a counterfeit and highly cancerous.
It is the continuation of the contraception of Nigeria that birthed the “six geographical zones.” What’s actually geographical about these deceptive zones? We wonder aloud.
What is northern about Kwara and Kogi? Why lump them into a deception labelled “North Central.” Where’s the centre of the North in these two states? What’s central to the North in Kwara and Kogi?
This is a veritable flashback; an imperishable one. At creation on May 27, 1967. The old Kwara State was christened West Central State. It was the bringing together of Ilorin and Kabba provinces of the defunct Northern Region. Our joy knew no bounds. We saw a Daniel in General Yakubu Gowon, the then Head of State, coming to judgment.
That momentous moment was acutely short-lived. It was knowingly cut short. We were shocked to the marrow. Behold, some powers among us rose against us. Late Dr. Olusola Saraki was clearly the arrowhead. He did us in.
They were solidly backed by the Fulani oligarchy from the far North. They deployed all the arsenal in their armoury. They carried the battle to Gowon in Dodan Barracks, Ikoyi, Lagos. That was the seat of the military junta then.
They stood their muddy ground. They told Gowon point-blank. West Central State must change name. Their self-serving argument: The two provinces that made up the state formed a part of the old Northern Region.
And what’s more, it was like putting salt in their festering injuries. They yelled: “One of them, Lt.-Col. David Lasisi Bamigboye, was appointed the first military governor.” Bamigboye was Yoruba, an Igbomina from Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government. It was revulsive and repulsive to them. But pleasant and melodious to us.
This too must change. They insisted emphatically. Gowon held on to his stance on Bamigboye. He told them, his was strictly a military posting. And nothing would change that.
He couldn’t hold forte on name change. He couldn’t resist them either. They overwhelmed him with pressure from their North. The military in him failed him. They broke him and he succumbed. He was cajoled. And he fell for it.
He told them to look for an alternative to West Central. They searched. They burnt different shapes and types of candles, of varied colours. They had sleepless nights heavily garnished with nightmares.
Somehow, somewhere, mother luck smiled on them. They found the word, “Kwara”, among the Nupe. They live on the northern banks of the Niger.
The hawks were excited. They found it. Who would not? They interpreted Kwara to mean “The Big River,” referring to River Niger. That interpretation is still under dispute till today. The same Niger Yoruba call Odo Oya.
But, the agitators cared less. At least, the end justified the means. They held the name tightly to their fleshy chests. And raced back to Dodan Barracks. Pity Gowon! He crumbled. He fell for it hook, line and sinker. The change was effected with military fiat.
And that sealed it. Our hope of returning to our Yoruba root in the West was crashed by a bunch of agents of Fulani oligarchy. We certainly won’t forgive them for that. It is our resolute resolve. And we mean it!
We have strong belief. That will not last forever. Nothing is permanent. Only the mercies of God endureth forever. Unknown to him, Bago did us a great favour. He has contributed to an advocacy that is dear to us. Call it restructuring. And you are precisely on spot.
Our takeaway. We strangers in their North won’t opt for Hausa language to run our affairs. It is an abomination, a sacrilege. Their language is not in any way superior to our rich Yoruba language.
That’s our natural choice. It’s organic, not artificial. It is not make-believe. And it’s God-given. We can’t jettison it for any other. Not even Hausa language.
Bago definitely did not know this. He couldn’t have known anyway. Using Yoruba language to teach in schools is not alien. Neither is it strange to us in Kwara State. That’s what they used to teach my generation and many others.
Yoruba was not only a subject. But also the language of instruction for all subjects. This was prevalent from Primary One to Three/Four. We called it Junior Primary School.
So, what Bago is offering has been here with us. He’s advised to strictly contain and curtail himself to his jurisdiction. Maintain your lane. And allow others to maintain theirs. No trespass, it could be unpleasant, unbearable.
The reality on ground is insecurity. It is a colossal predicament. That’s the monster the North should contend with squarely. Not imposing Hausa language on non-speakers.
You may adopt an indigenous language of instruction in primary and secondary schools. It is a viable choice. It has to be discreetly implemented. A particular language can’t be forced on others. And against their collective will.
Communities, states and regions with common identities can perfectly do that. They can come together and adopt their common language. It beautifies, elevates and enriches true federalism.
Neither the North, nor Nigeria has one indigenous language. We have many in rich abundance. If we are to adopt mother tongue as language of instruction in schools. We need to consider our sterling peculiarities. It can’t be just one for all.
If the North imposes Hausa language on its schoolchildren. What happens to the equally northern children of Kanuri, Junkun, Gwari, Tiv, Berom, Idoma, Igbirra and many others?
It will be absurd. And grossly unfair.