FEW days back, while I was reminiscing over the victory of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, in Kano, and calling on all democrats to respect the wish of the majority, reports came in that some scoundrels have descended on the house of the popular Hausa singer, Dauda Rara, famously known as RARA, looting and setting it on fire. They didn’t stop there, they were said to have visited the same anger on his office and business complex, in a different part of Kano.
The rampaging rogues went loose, savagely cruel, and kept carrying out their barbaric acts in the name of celebrating the victory of Abba Kabir Yusuf, or Abba Gida Gida, as he is popularly called, for defeating the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Dr. Nasir Yusuf Gawuna.
Dauda Rarara is not originally from Kano, but was born and raised in Kano. He is a native of katsina state, who started as a Quranic student in Kano, and ventured into entertainment. He became particularly famous in singing for politicians, with a special breakthrough in 2015, when he sang for President Muhammadu Buhari. The name Rara, which serves as his surname, is the name of his native village in Katsina, “Kahuta Rara”. His full name is therefore Dauda Kahuta Rara.
Now let’s leave his History and go into the Geography of the physical features of his personal properties, and how some miscreants changed their looks, simply because of political anger. Despite the imposition of a dawn to dusk curfew by the government of Kano, several thousand demonstrators rampaged through the city, destroying the properties of perceived opposition members, or those believed to be sympathetic to the government. And Rara was the first victim.
Rara’s offense is his support for Dr. Nasir Yusuf Gawuna and his regular scoffing of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is the recognized leader of the NNPP and the political Godfather of Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governor-elect of Kano state. By their thinking, the rampaging rogues feel, for contemptuously ridiculing or mocking Kwankwaso in his songs, the best way to celebrate the victory of Kwankwaso is to torch and loot anything that belongs to Rara. After all, he is not an indigene.
This to me is the height of barbarism. It is the manifestation of political intolerance and extreme brutality, that run contrary to the culture of the Kano people, who pride themselves for the play of politics without bitterness. Why? why?? why???
Simply because a singer is not native, or simply because he is in the habit of scoffing your hero in his song, should you go so berserk? The story of my early journey into journalism carries the colour of something similar.
In the eighties, a German evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke visited Kano, and the city went up in flames. The riot that broke out resulted in the merciless and ruthless attacks on non indigenes and their properties. Driving on the busy Ibrahim Taiwo road of Kano, I saw the office of a friend set on fire. He is a non indigene and so are most of his staff. The staff ran to the balcony upstairs and kept screaming for help, while the rioters were looting and burning the building from downstairs. The good Samaritan in me, advised me to stop and help, after all, it’s my friend’s office and the staff are familiar with me. That was one mistake that nearly sent me to the grave prematurely.
While I was struggling to push them into my car and drive them to safety, from no where, a large chunk of the youth on rampage suddenly emerged, and charged towards us, chanting the Islamic declaration of faith, Allahu Akbar!, Allahu Akbar!!
As a Muslim, I joined in repeating after them, instantaneously. But to no avail. Despite that proclamation and the repeated shout that I am a Muslim that only stopped to help, the guy leading the group ordered that I should be condemned as well. And immediately, someone, holding a gallon, poured petrol on us. And the shout of matches!, matches!, matches!, became the roaring rant of the crowd. I think what happened next, made me understand the real meaning of miracle.
God came to the rescue directly, I repeat directly. In fact, an article this short can not explain, but God brought in a palatable intervention, as a consequence of which, I am alive today.
I listened to Abba Kabir Yusuf’s thank you message to the people of Kano. It was a well crafted speech that was fashioned after the famous General Buhari speech of 1983 and maturely presented. But it came short of expectation, because it said nothing about the rampage perpetrated by the rogues.
If such behaviour is not condemned, and permitted to continue unaddressed, the ramification of such rampage could rub off on the credibility of Kwankwaso, and paradoxically affect the fidelity of Abba Kabir Yusuf, as the incoming governor of Kano state.
Rara would surely be compensated by some sympathizers, but Kano would loose trust and respect, because of the recklessness of some rogues.
Ibrahim is the director, publicity for the APC.