I thought I was Jukun — Tanko Yakasai at 99

Born on December 5, 1925, in Kano, Elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai turned 99 years old yesterday. A key member of the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), Yakasai is also a founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF). In this exclusive interview, the nonagenarian, who has not attended formal school, recalled his life journey; how he taught himself the English language, and his joy for a life full of achievements. He was the Hausa Editor, Daily Comet, Kano, between 1954 and 1960; Sales Manager, AGIP Nigeria Ltd, Kano Area Office 1966–1967; variously served as Commissioner in ministries of Information, Forestry, Community Development and Cooperatives; and Finance between 1967 and 1975. He was Special Assistant to former President Shehu Shagari on National Assembly Liaison between 1979 and 1983.

Congratulations for coming this far. How do you feel being 99 years on earth?

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Thank you very much. It is wonderful, and I am grateful to Almighty God for making it possible. Actually, I was one of three siblings born by my parents. The two others were female, I am the only male child, and I am the youngest. The two died and left me behind. Each died after having one child. The children have also gone. But as I am talking to you now, I have got 19 children. Four died. Otherwise, I produced 23 children. Luckily, I have over 80 grandchildren. I am grateful to my God. I pray that I will continue to live in peace and harmony with my children and grandchildren.

What will you say is your greatest achievement in 99 years?

Well, I think many people will be surprised. I am grateful to God for making it possible for me to go to Quranic School. From there, after completing the prescribed period, I decided to learn Western education on my own. I was never sent to a Western school.

I learned ABCD on my own. Later on, I learned how to write and speak English. The English I am speaking to you now, I didn’t get it from the school. I got it through my own efforts. One of the greatest gratitude I have for God is that He made me to be hard working and successful. So, all these great achievements, it is through efforts that God made it possible for me to have. I will continue to do my best until the moment that God decides to call me back.

Among your contemporaries, can you remember some that are still alive?

All those I know have gone. But there are two females: one is my senior, and one is my junior. But in the last three years, I haven’t heard anything about them. They relocated to a different area. So, I don’t know whether they are still alive or not.

Do you still eat and drink food the way you want it, or do you have some moderation now?

No, I take tuwo or garri generally. These are my main foods of interest.

What do you think is the secret of your longevity? Is it hereditary?

I would like to think that it is hereditary because my father died at the age of 105, I think. My mother died at the age of 99. And they were not from Kano. They were from Adamawa but my father was not Fulani. My father was Chamba. But you don’t know the difference between Jukun and Chamba. They speak each other’s language. They grew up in the same place. So, originally, I thought I was Jukun. But later on, it was confirmed to me that my father was Chamba.

And your mother, was she Fulani or Hausa?

My mother was Fulani. But she was married to my father in Kano.

Do you travel as much as you used to do before now…

I am 99 years old. There is a limit to what I can do. In any case, there is no place in Nigeria that I am now interested in going or to visit. And also, apart from Nigeria, I visited many countries – Russia, China, England, France, name it.

You have travelled widely. But, people will be surprised when you say you didn’t attend formal school. Is it that you didn’t go to any primary school or secondary?

I didn’t. But I went to Qur’anic school. It is the concept of Qur’anic school that made me learn Western education.

So you don’t have any certificate to showcase?

What I did was to write my biography, consisting of over a hundred pages. I wrote it myself. I will tell you why I wrote it. Many journalists and university lecturers approached me to interview me about my own story and my history. I told them that I prefer to write my own story and history because I don’t want somebody to mess me up to write whatever he likes and say this is my story. I said, no, I will do it myself. Then whatever I wrote, you can take whatever you want. If there is any other question, after reading my story, come to me.

It was after I self-taught myself the English language that I considered going for my certificate at evening classes but I didn’t go. I decided then to write my own biography and for it to become my certificate.

Surprisingly, you speak Standard English so fluently and not Pidgin English…

I don’t know how to speak Pidgin English because I never learned it. I learned Standard English. Have you ever read my autobiography? You should get it and read it—I wrote it myself.

How did you balance learning on your own and being active in politics at the same time?

Well, first, I attended Quranic School until I completed the entire Quran. I even repeated it. I read the Quran twice on my own. After that, I started learning English with the Hausa version. Later on, I switched to English.

Why do you think politicians these days focus on materialism instead of serving the people?

Well, I became a politician by choice. I didn’t enter politics to get a job. I already had a job. I was a professional tailor and a very successful one. I was the official tailor for the Economy School, and I made uniforms for people like Michael Masile, Sani Gezawa, Ibrahim Dantiye, and others when they were in school.

So, what is your message to politicians now, considering the current state of things in Nigeria?

I appeal to Nigerians to work hard, commit themselves, and strive to make Nigeria bigger, greater, and more successful. We can achieve even more success than we have today.

People are complaining about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What do you think he should do to ease the tension?

Whoever becomes the President of Nigeria will face complaints. That is inevitable. People will always have something to say, regardless of who is in power.

So, what should the president do to address this?

Listen, no one can rule Nigeria and satisfy every citizen, given the country’s complex mix of ethnic groups and cultures. It is impossible to please everyone. What matters is doing your best.