Most unforgettable, joyful moments of my life – Sarkin Ban Kano

In this excerpt of an interview published in the May 22, 2016, edition of Daily Trust on Sunday, the Late Sarkin Ban Kano, Alhaji Mukhtari Adnan spoke on his formative experiences and his stewardship of the Dambatta District.

At 90, how has been your journey through life?

First, I thank God for sparing my life to attain the age of 90. For me, life has been quite eventful, from childhood to being a scribe to a chief clerk, to Parliament, state civil service and to the Emirate council. I have successfully gone through many stages of life.  

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How remarkable was your experience in Parliament?

My parliamentary life was quite interesting. I spent 12 years in Parliament. I was the Chief Whip of the Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC) and took many vital decisions on its behalf. As Chief Whip, I was controlling almost all the members of the party, including ministers, with a view to making them conform with the manifesto of my party. I guided our members in Parliament on how they can successfully scale through the intrigues.  Of course, I obtained a diploma in Parliament Procedures and Practice so I was qualified to represent my party well in the Parliament.

Are you still in touch with some of your colleagues in that Parliament?

Most of them have died and only few are still alive. I know there are the Dan Masanin Kano Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule and Richard Akinjide. Unfortunately, I don’t have any connection with the rest. 

What can you recall as a young boy that you did, maybe some jokes?

I can recall some friends in my parliamentary life who are now dead. There was Chief Obafemi Awolowo, against whom, I remember, I put a motion in the Parliament and which went through. I also remember Ayo Rosiji, Jaja Nwachukwu and T.O.S. Benson. I remember relating well with people like Malam Aminu Kano, the Chief Whip of the NPC/NEPU; we would sit down and discuss general matters concerning the country and our people. We really did our best. We were good role models for our members on how to go about the business.  

Today’s politicians seem to be fighting one another always. How was the interaction among politicians during your time?

It was quite different. As you said, politicians in Nigeria today are always fighting each other. During our time, we were all friendly, irrespective of our party differences. Members of the NCNC, Action Group, NPC and NEPU worked together as one family. Though we would engage in hot debates in the chamber, when we came out we would shake hands and take tea together, unlike now that they are always bitterly fighting one another.

 I am disappointed in those who parade themselves as politicians in Nigeria today. I don’t know where they are heading to. They should fear God, because it appears they don’t. They don’t appear to realise they are there to serve their people and not to serve their personal interests. They are there to advance the interest of the country and not to break it up. They are there to work for the good of the future generations of Nigerians, part of who are their children, their grandchildren and their great grand-children. They are there to ensure that Nigeria is among the best countries not only in Africa but in the whole world. They are not there to enrich their pockets.  

What would you say is responsible for the sorry change from what your generation was?

The main reason was that we were not self-centred as Parliament members. We did not care about money. All we were concerned about was to work for the country to progress and for our people. That was all we knew to do. I personally knew nothing else serving in the Parliament. 

If you had another chance to serve in the Parliament, what difference would you make?

First, I would advise that all members of the Parliament should cut their salaries and allowances by 50 per cent. Second, I will suggest that members of the Parliament should concentrate more on parliamentary debates on matters that concern the country instead of wasting their time on constituency projects which the people know nothing about, and most of which are mere self-serving and absolutely unnecessary.  

As a parliamentarian, you lived in Lagos and spent life with socialites like T.O.S. Benson, who enjoyed fame as a socialite and partygoer. To what extent did the social life of political  friends like that rub off on you?

Well, I was very young at that time. Yes, I remember that Mr. Benson used to take me to his house and to parties in Lagos.  

How was school life, from the elementary to college, especially?

It is a long story, but nothing eventful. I attended Dambatta Elementary school from 1935-1939 and then proceeded to Kano Middle School from 1939-1944. I worked for a year in Dambatta and Ringim as scribe to my father and then went back to Clerical Training School, Zaria, from 1946-1947. When I graduated (fortunately, I was the best graduating student at that time) I was employed by government. I was posted to the Colonial Audit Department in Kaduna. I worked there for two years before I was sent to Zaria and later to Kano for the same work. I was later posted to the Kano Emirate as a senior accountant at the Kano Native Treasury.  

Who were your mates at the Kano Middle School?

All my school mates have died. Whenever I remember them I feel like crying. They are all dead.  

You seem to be so critical of the politicians Nigeria parades today. If you were the president now, considering the extent of corruption in Nigeria, what kind of punishment would you give treasury looters?

Before I answer your question, let me say that I am 100 pe cent in support of the present president, Muhammadu Buhari’s stance against corruption. I hope that all he promised Nigeria will come true. If it does, I am sure Nigeria will be great and Nigerians will forever be grateful to him.

 On treasury looters, if I were Buhari, I would definitely be tougher. Corrupt people should be prosecuted and sent to prison. They should suffer so they can realize what they had done was wrong and they are merely paying the price for their crime and greed. That would be a lesson to Nigerians of their like.

I am surprised that till now, some treasury looters are not yet in prison. I am just surprised. All we still hear on radio and watch television and read in newspapers is that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has questioned a suspect for three hours and has released him. Then tomorrow, such a person is at large. What is all that nonsense for? Nigerians need to see that corrupt people are convicted and they clearly serve their sentences.

 During the military regime, some people guilty of certain crimes were taken to the Kirikiri prisons and their mouths shut up. But today, the EFCC will question a treasury looter for two to three hours and that is the end of it. Tomorrow, the looter will go to the press and boasts, ‘I have not done anything.’ What is all that for?  Government has to do some drastic things to convince Nigerians it is serious about corruption.  

What was the beauty of academic education when you went to school?

It was fantastic but now there are so many problems. Standard has fallen. The most serious problem of the fallen standard of education is population explosion, down to the primary level. In many schools now, up to even universities, there aren’t enough classrooms, desk or chairs, and qualified teachers. A teacher is not Grade Two, not Grade Three, not an NCE holder and not a university graduate. He is just there posing as a teacher. How do you expect education to flourish in that school? An uneducated person cannot educate people. It is impossible. That is one major problem. Then there is neglect of the education sector by government, unfortunately.  

You have been district head of Dambatta for 62 years. How has the experience been?

I have gathered a lot of experience, beginning from when my father was head. I also learnt a lot from people. I have done my best for my people together, showing them the right way to go and the right thing to do. I have been advising parents to educate their children. And thank God I have been succeeding.  Now everybody in Dambatta goes to school; every child goes to school. There was a time the people would refuse and say they would not send their children to western school. But I did my best over the years to convince them, first by sending my own children to school. People saw that, saw the benefits of education and started sending their children to school. Now, Dambatta people are some of the best educated in Kano State. We have a large number of educated people in Dambatta than in any other part of Kano State.  

Did you also show a good example in sending your children to public schools instead of private?

Of course, yes. I sent them to public schools; all of them started from public schools. If they went to other higher schools, it was on their own and not from me. Institutions that admitted them did so based on merit from the children.  

Besides education, what other roles as district head would you say you have been doing?

I have been impressing on my people the importance of education. I have been telling them to go back to farm, go back to agriculture. This was what my father did and that was what I inherited. This is what some of my children are also doing. I have many farms myself.  

How do you spend your day then?

When I wake up, I say my prayers. After that, on the advice of doctors, I walk for, say, 30 minutes, every day. Then I take my breakfast. After that, I go to my office to see the people and hear their complaints, and solve them if necessary. Then I come back to my family. In the afternoon, I just do whatever comes to me.

 I ensure I read the newspapers everyday, especially the Daily Trust. Even today I have read it. I also listen to the radio.  

How would you describe your father? How much of a disciplinarian was he?

Well, if I start to talk about my father, it will take hours. Whenever I remember how well he lived, I feel so joyous within me, and I will also cry. The man was just too great.

 After saying his prayers in the morning, about 5am to 5.30am, he would ride his horse to his farms to supervise activities there. A very hardworking man, he wouldn’t go there to sit on a chair. He would go round and round to ensure the workers were working in unity. He always emphasized that. Then, he would come back home first and later go to his office.

 He was a senior district officer in Dambatta, so he would do his office duties. By 2pm, he would again ride again to the farms to see what was happening there. He never delayed his workers’ wages, even for one hour. That was how he lived.

 On his farms, he had heaps of so many produce. He got stocks of guineacorn, rice, millet and groundnut in particular. He was the first person to do mixed farming in Kano, then others saw it and copied from him. He truly did his best; he was called Sarkin Noma. Even he was recognized by the governing authorities of that time.

 There was a time the late Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 1, brought the late Sarduna to Dambatta to show him that my father was a rare farmer. When they arrived, they did not meet him at home. When they asked where he was, I told them he was at the farm. They said I should go to call him. I rode a bicycle to the farm and we came back together. After that, my father showed his two guests his store. The men saw stores of guineacorn, millet and groundnut. The Sarduna was greatly impressed and agreed that this man was one of the best farmers in the region.  

Were you awed by the responsibilities before you when you were asked to be the district head of Dambatta?

Well, at that time I was very young, I was 28 when I was appointed, but I was lucky I had people of like mind around me. We lived together, worked together and moved together in all aspects of our lives.  

What would you say are the unforgettable moments of your life?

The 1966 coup is certainly one; I will never forget it. I was in Ikoyi. When I woke up, about 10am, I went to Falomo and saw soldiers all around. They were not talking to me. When I made inquiries, they just showed me their guns and ordered me to keep quiet, I kept quiet. Later, I saw the Clerk of the House and asked him what was happening. He said the Prime Minister had been taken away. The Prime Minister was later killed, as were the Minister of Finance and Akintola. I will never, never forget that tragedy in my life.  

What were your joyful moments?

One of them should be 1954. I was in the Native Authority when I was elected to the first Parliament. Another was when I was appointed District Head of Dambatta, which I am till now.