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‘Aminu Kano was there’: Sule Lamido and Jigawa's Poorest of the Poor

Baba El-Yakubu

"Nigeria will never be the same, because Aminu Kano was there". This is the conclusion of 'African Revolutionary: The Life and Times of Nigeria's Aminu Kano', Alan Feinstein's resourceful biography of the icon of the talakawa emancipation. A total liberation of poor masses (or talakawa) was the focus of Aminu Kano's career. From Bauchi discussion group, to defunct Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) and finally former People Redemption Party (PRP); Malam (as his supporters and disciples fondly called him), attempted to dismantle the shackle of subjugation and deprivation from the neck of the talakawa. Through discussion groups, speeches and writings; he developed an egalitarian agenda that produced a formidable social force which confronted the colonial power and retrogressive forces as represented by the local or native authority. NEPU was founded to participate in; Nigeria's independence struggle, guaranteeing of human (especially women) right and security of life and property in the national constitution. Central to NEPU's understandings of human liberty are the total freedom of talakawa to vote and be voted for and creation of social space to cater for their needs. These were major concerns in northern Nigeria of 1950 when NEPU was formed.

Therefore, many talakawa identified with NEPU and participated in transforming its objectives into an emancipation phenomenon that swept across the region. This produced a number of individuals and groups that symbolized the Malam’s teachings. Poor people in Kano still idolize NEPU’s two surviving foundation members - Mudi Spikin and Magaji Danbatta and two of its martyrs - Sa'adu Zungur and Bala Muhammad. Zungur was believed to be poisoned by the colonialists. Muhammad was murdered during July 1981 political uprising in Kano. Despite persecutions, the emancipation phenomenon initiated by Malam continues. Sule Lamido belong this phenomenon. He believes in liberation of talakawa as a pre-requisite for Nigerians collective development. His activism and radical dispositions; especially against the feudal authority were well known. This earned him respect from PRP leadership. He contested and won his constituency's PRP house of representative seat, in 1979. Based on his credentials, he won the Jigawa State governorship primary election of the defunct Social Democratic Party in early 1990s.

His sojourn in PDP until recently; has been a disappointment for talakawa. Unexpectedly, he was appointed as a foreign minister in the Obasonjo's first term. His performance was dismal. Perhaps, it came as a relief to him when it became clear that he could not maintain his position in the next cabinet lineup. To the disappointment of many neo-NEPUs, he hung on in PDP despite that fact that it was hijacked by a cabal that showed no interest in addressing social and poverty problems important for talakawa emancipation. This disappointment developed into frustration and anger when as a member of PDP executive council; he joined sycophants to campaign for an illegal third term for Obasanjo. This led some to take matters into their hand and attacked his house in Kano. They declared him a persona non grata in a commune he was once held as a hero. He turned out to be a prodigal member of a phenomenon in which he was once among its respected princes. Had he lost his NEPU spirit?

Like the proverbial cat; that spirit appeared to be indestructible. After celebrations of his election as the governor of Jigawa, Lamido left no one in doubts about the fact that 'Aminu Kano was there'. He declared a pro-talakawa social welfare program unparallel by any other governor in the region. While he recognizes the importance of business class and elite for the economic development of the state, he also believes in a need to create a social and economic space for the talakawa. His government will seek to improve the life of the poorest of the poor who as he said, are the vast majority "whom poverty and misery have reduced to conditions unworthy of human beings". In order to walk the talk, the government has identified four groups among the poorest of the poor – the physically challenged, the girl child, the artisans and the peasants – to be the first beneficiaries of the program. The first will receive monthly maintenance allowance of =N=7,000. The second will (from October) have free education up to tertiary level. The artisans and peasants will have refurbished/new vocational training facilities and subsidized fertilizer respectively. I believe this is not a spur of the moment decisions. Lamido must have thought about its economic implications and social multiplier effects. It is a manifestation of Malam's teachings.

These four groups are at the bottom of the poverty pyramid. They are among the poorest of the poor. Any talakawa empowerment program must start with them. As demonstrated by other poverty alleviation programs such as Grameen microfinance for the poor by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh and Bolivian microfinance institutions; direct interventions are the most effective means of reducing abject poverty. The talakawa remain in perpetual poverty circle unless there is external intervention from governmental or other institutions. They are poor. So they could not afford a balance diet to function properly in the society. They cannot buy effective medication to be healthy and strong enough to be active participants rather than passive observers in human affairs. Their kids cannot go to school. So they wouldn't have proper education. Education, as H. G. Well pointed out; is the greatest social leveler and a means of upward mobility. Without balance diet, effective medication and proper education, the next generation joins the last in perpetual subjugation and deprivation. The genius of Lamido recognizes the necessity of breaking the circle. Therefore, he took the bull by the horn. Critics and cynic may have their genuine concerns, but we must remember that human capital; like any other, needs to be harnessed, developed and empowered for it to be optimally utilized.

However, Lamido's declaration should not be the end. The development challenges associated with Jigawa cannot be solved in isolation or in a casual manner. It is commendable that the governor has promised to conduct a survey in order to know the actual number of impoverished families in the state. Reliable data is necessary for any sustainable development. Such surveys should be extended to other ministries and programs. Otherwise, the governor's good intention may be converted into a conduit of siphoning scarce resources for self enrichment and patronage. There is a need to engage neighboring state governors in formulating similar pro-talakawa programs. This will make it easier to monitor progress in Jigawa. Kano's social reorientation program was hampered by the influx of people from the neighboring states. Lamido should also consider providing the necessary focus and leadership for jump-starting economic and sustainable social development of at least the northwest of Nigeria. Today, the region is the most backward. There is better time than the present for implementing the Malam's teachings.

The government must be vigilant. There are fifth columnists and agents of retrogression. They are so myopic that they could neither think deeper than the depth of their pockets nor see beyond the width of their paychecks. To them talakawa empowerment is an abhorrence that should not be allowed to disrupt a system that works smoothly. During the PDP first term for instance, a group of concerned northerners initiated northern education summit under the auspices of the office of the former vice president. The summit developed programs and milestones for improving education in the north. Unfortunately, many governors were suspicious about the motives and ambivalent about the outcome. Only two of the nineteen of them committed the recommended 26% budgetary allocation to education. These experiences should be taken into consideration in designing and extending Jigawa's social engineering program.

Lamido's program should be designed in such a way that it will leave a lasting legacy. So that at least by end of the first term, the situation of talakawa in Jigawa will never be the same. There is a need to identify specific targets and milestones. These will provide the critics and oppositions with a proper measure of progress. They will also give Talakawa some assurance about the seriousness of the program. The whimsical and ludicrous ways the affairs of government were run in the last two terms; made Jigawa people wary of any official declaration. They need to be reminded about the fact that Sule Lamido belongs to NEPU's emancipation phenomenon and PRP's redemption resolution and that his government has a genuine program for empowering the poorest of the power in the state. As a saying goes, it is not your job to fix the world; it is your job to do your part. Aminu Kano did his part and left an undeniable legacy in the Nigeria’s political history. Today, Lamido is putting Malam's teaching into practice to do his part towards empowering the poorest of the poor in Jigawa State. If this program is sustained, it would be a single most important service brought to Jigawa since its creation.