REMEMBERING THE POWERFUL STATEMENTS OF THE LATE YUSUF MAITAMA SULE OF BLESSED MEMORY
From the Arewa Trust Newspaper stable
“Today we are no longer what we were; what is happening today is not in our character. The norms and values left by Sardauna and our founding fathers are no longer with us, they are not with us.
Today as I have often described the situation, the institution of family has broken down, respect for elders and constituted authority which used to be our cardinal principle in our society, is now at its lowest ebbs.
Honesty, where it does not pay has become meaningless; symptoms of revolt loom large in the horizon.
In short, there is
meaninglessness in philosophy,
insecurity in polity,
chaos in politics,
immorality in society,
corruption in economy,
frustration in art
and lack of creativity in literature.
This is not what North used to be or Nigeria as a whole, ours was a decent country whose leaders respected one another in spite of their political differences.
Ours was a society that was morally sound, was a society in which all of us were our brother’s keepers; it is not the same today.
Perhaps, some people say we have been brain-washed by our erstwhile colonial masters, it is true to a certain extent, but we are to a very large extent to blame, because we are masters of our faith, we should be captains of our souls.
Today, as I have said we are no longer ourselves, our cultural values has been thrown overboard, if a people lose their culture – culture is the identity of the people, people often mistake culture as mere dancing and singing, it is much more than that.
Culture is the customs and costumes,
the characters and characteristics,
the manners and mannerisms,
the philosophy and ideology of a people,
culture is the totality of a people’s experience,
culture is the way of life of the people.
In those days we adhere to the culture of the people, we had an identity, we had respect for one another, our society was morally sound, there was little corruption and so on and so forth.
However, in spite of the ugly picture I have painted, I believe we can still get out of the woods, I am not a pessimist. I am an optimist, I believe that if we can revive the glory of the past, by reminding us of the good achievements – the success Sardauna and his likes, of our founding fathers, if we recall what Sardauna did and emulate his example, we can certainly revive the glory of the past.
Sardauna was a great man. He was born great; he had greatness thrust upon him and he achieved greatness. Sardauna was a leader in the true sense of the word. All his life, he was devoted to the service of his fellow man. He lived for the people and died for the people- A great leader who led his people with the philosophy of the herdsman.
The philosophy of the herdsman, you may have observed and may have seen is that the Fulani herdsman is always in front of his cows, leading them.
He is not behind them driving them from behind. He is in front leading his cattle.
The Fulani herdsman hangs a stick over his shoulders. That stick is not for beating them. It is for guarding his cattle.
That Fulani herdsman can make his cattle do everything he wants them to do. While he is leading them in front, if he stops anywhere, they all would stop. If he should jump into the water, they all would jump into the water. If he starts running, all of them would run after him. He names all of his cattle.
In those days, people of Northern Nigeria did not identify themselves by their tribes or religion, they were all “yan Arewa."
Sardauna’s physician was a Christian; Dr. Ishaya Audu.
His personal doctor was a Christian.
His right hand man and indeed his next door neighbor, Michael Audu Buba, the Minister of Trade, he was a Christian from Plateau.
There was a time when Sarduana went to the Kingsway Store in Kaduna to do some shopping. And he met some students going round in the shop doing some window shopping.
And he asked them what they were doing and they said that they were going round looking at things. And he said alright, let each one of you go round and pick one item, I will pay. He asked his servants to go and settle the bills. His servants did and unfortunately, his servants asked one of the boys,’ what tribe are you?’ What religion are you following? And unfortunately for that servant, the Sardauna overheard him. And he turned round furiously “Why should you ask him his tribe and religion? What has that got to with that? He is my son.
Don’t you ever do that to me again? , If you do it again I'll dismiss you ".... That was Sarduana.
His Chief of Security, Sunday Awoniyi was a Christian, a Yoruba man. So you could not fault Sarduana as a religious leader.
I am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel… and I DO HOPE THE STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE."
LATE YUSUF MAITAMA SULE
May Allah forgive his short coming.