In memory of a father-extraordinaire

Alhaji Sa’idu Bala Haruna, who died on September 16, 2015, was a very remarkable man with a generous spirit. Kind, friendly and compassionate, he never failed to fascinate you as someone who means well and wishes the very best for his fellow human being. A conversation with him often resulted in him probing to find if there is any way he could help. If you happen to be a young man with a lifetime ahead of you, he would be so concerned about your prospects in life and constantly inspire you to go for higher education. You could see clearly how elated he was if you did. Therefore, his death must have been quite shocking to many, particularly his family and those of us who were his students.
The deceased taught Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) to those of us who attended Kano Teachers’ College (KTC, then Grate Two section of Advanced Teachers’ College, now FCE Kano) in the late 1960s. Personally, I found him to be enigmatic because here was an expert in Islamic Studies who was born and bred in the most conservative part of Kano town, but had so much interest in Western education that he would spend time trying to nudge us to study hard and proceed for university education. He tried to instill the love of Islamic Knowledge in us alright, but none of the other teachers was concerned about our future and did as much to ginger us to seek laurels in life. He seemed obsessed with convincing us not to be contented with mere post-primary certificates, which he said would be inadequate in future.
Ironically, Alhaji Sa’idu himself was not versed in Western education; he was an Islamic scholar who travelled far and wide to acquire his knowledge. Born at Makwarari in 1928, he could not have acquired Western education as the predominantly Muslim community in Kano at that time abhorred Boko (or formal) schools because they were mostly owned by Christian Missionaries who succeeded in converting a few of the first sets of Muslim pupils enrolled by them.
Endowed with the desire for seeking knowledge, he spent his early life attending Madarasas (schools) in Kano, Lagos, and in Ghana and Egypt. After elementary Qur’anic lessons at Kwalwa (1935-41), he was taught by Malam – later Sheikh – Abdul-Yassar Alfa Kwalwa (1941-48), who introduced him to some Kano Sheikhs (professors), such as Malam Shehu Mai-Hula Galadanchi (1948-54), and Tijjani Usman Zangon Barebari (1954-56) for advanced knowledge of the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith. His quest for more knowledge made him to travel to Ghana and study under Sheikh Baba Al-Wa’izu, before returning to Lagos to attend Markazu Al-Ta’alimu Al-Arabi, Agege (1956-59) under the tutelage of Sheikh Adamu Abdullahi Ilorin. With this solid background he returned to Kano and got admission into the famous School for Arabic Studies (SAS, 1959-62). After that he was employed as a teacher by Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who subsequently sponsored him to study in Egypt (1965-68). Apparently his travels exposed him to modern life and the need for societal development through education. He became learned in Arabic language, literature, philosophy and jurisprudence, as well as in the Hadith and Tafsir.
Thus, his working career began as a teacher at Dantata Memorial Primary School where he taught from 1963-65, and from 1968 to 1974 he was with us at KTC. He got admission into Abdullahi Bayero College (now BUK, then affiliated to ABU), 1973-76. With tremendous efforts he managed to improve his English language and bagged BA in Arabic and Islamic Studies. On completion of his studies he was appointed Zonal Education Inspector (1976-77), and lecturer at Staff Training Centre/Staff Development Centre (1977-78). He became Senior Lecturer, School of Management Studies in 1978 and retired from public service in 1979.
However, it must be noted that all through the years he combined his studies initially with trading at the ancient Kurmi Market with his uncle, before engaging in full-fledged business as an adult. Thus, after graduation he found it desirable to undertake short courses in management, business and marketing in 1990 and 1991 to prepare himself well for his business. He was also intermittently involved in politics; NEPU as a young man, NPN in the Second Republic and NRC in the aborted Third Republic.
The deceased served as a member of Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board from 1976-78. As a stalwart of the NPN, he also sat in the Governing Council of Bayero University Kano (BUK) from 1980-84, and served under military rule as a member of Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), 1988-90. Alhaji Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, then NRC governor of Kano State, appointed him Special Adviser on Religious and Chieftaincy Affairs from 1991-93. His other extracurricular activities included serving as the National Secretary of the Shababul Islamic Society (1957-59); National Vice-President of the Nigeria Association of Small-Scale Industries (NASSI), 1986-93; and up till his death a member of the General Purpose Committee of the Council of Ulama in Nigeria from 1980, and Kano Traders Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society from 1989. In appreciation of his immense contributions to society various organizations honored him. They include, among others, Beecham Nigeria Limited in 1988; Da’awah Group of Nigeria, 1992; Kano State Agency for Mass Education, 1995; and Dantata Memorial Old Boys Association, 1999.
Recently, the attention of the nation was drawn to this noble man after some serial publications in the Daily Trust (Dec. 11, 2014 to Jan. 1, 2015) which featured interviews with his four daughters whom he trained as medical doctors. To shed more light on it, he was also interviewed by Aminiya, the vernacular newspaper. When I read those interviews, I thought it was a rare feat for a man from the far North to train not only one but four daughters as doctors. Obviously, this is phenomenal not only in Kano but anywhere in Nigeria.
To achieve that and fulfill his dream of giving the best education to his daughters, even though he was a Muslim cleric, the deceased sent them all to a missionary school. They attended St. Louis Secondary School, Kano, which is one of the best girls’ schools in the country. Hence, besides being a teacher for decades, perhaps his greatest contribution to society is training his daughters as doctors who are now serving in various medical fields. The daughters are Dr. Sa’adatu, a public health specialist who is today the Director-General of Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS; Dr. Rakiya, a gynecologist; Dr. Hadiza, a cardiologist; and Dr. A’isha, a radiologist. Both of them attributed their successes in life to the support their father gave them.
The late Malam, who is survived by two wives and nine children, was indeed a father extraordinaire. Beside the four female doctors, he also produced two accountants and an engineer among his five male children. The other two include a post-graduate student of computer science, and a pilot trainee now in Jordan. I am not surprised about the achievements of Alhaji Sa’idu’s children, as anyone who cares about improving the lives of other people’s children, would see God helping his own to succeed. There is no doubt about it that the deceased is today greatly missed not only by his family, for which this is a monumental loss, but all those of us who have in one way or another associated with him during his life time. May he rest in peace, amin.
Ado wrote in from Gawo Avenue, Hotoro South, Tarauni Local Government Area, Kano.