Between Hafsatu Ahmed Abdulwaheed and Sir Abubakar Imam Who is a ‘Creative’ and an ‘Analytical’ Fiction Writer (I) (Makirkiri Da Manazarcin Kagaggen Labari) By U. S. Machika

Between Hafsatu Ahmed Abdulwaheed and Sir Abubakar Imam
Who is a ‘Creative’ and an ‘Analytical’ Fiction Writer (I)
(Makirkiri Da Manazarcin Kagaggen Labari)
By 
U. S. Machika

I was nudged to quench the quest to dabble into writing on this lofty subject by some of my Facebook friend’s posts. A Facebook post by Malam Sulaiman S. Mai Bazazzagiya on the 30th November 2016, another one the 1^st December with a follow up the next day 2^nd December 2016 triggered my reaction. Another post on the same 30^th November and on the 2^nd December 2016 on the same matter by our father, teacher and mentor, Prof. Ibrahim Malumfashi just made me tightened my armor. By coincidence, before their post arrested my attention, I have been cogitating on the one line Facebook post of Sam Ogabidu on the 23^rd November 2016. I particularly savored the comments of Leo Chris Aba in his response to Sam Ogabidu (I immediately forwarded a Facebook Friends Request to him).

Although this stimulated my sense of adventure to make bold, the size and weight of the subject kept forcing me to procrastinate undertaking this herculean discourse. However, the more I try to ignore it the more sleepless nights I have. So, here I am. 

Let me start from the beginning. Malam Sulaiman is an academic, a linguist specializing in Hausa. He is a celebrated poet, with a number of his poetry published in Hausa. Thus, in his capacity, he is a champion and vanguard of the Hausa language. He is therefore at all times in a combatant ready position to help propagate, defend, promote and strengthen the Hausa language. From the name of his Facebook handle, ‘Sulaiman S. Mai Bazazzagiya’, as a ‘Zagezagi’ (a man from Zaria), he sets to continua taunting his traditional jokemates – the people of Kano. As expected, at every opportunity, the ‘Kanawa’ (the Kano people) also hit back. Nonetheless, sometimes the scenarios where the arrows sent to hit back at a jokemate, indeed may not be a joke, but intended factual messages of the realities on ground deliberately sent to the jokemate. In my thinking, this is what hit my friend, Sulaiman Mai Bazazzagiya. I may be wrong. But this is what I deduced from his Facebook posts. 

On the 30^th November, 2016, an interview aired on BBC Hausa news channel hit him hard, possibly below the belt. In his Facebook posting titled “WATA SABUWA; IN JI 'YAN CACA” (a bizarre happening exclaimed the gamblers), Mai Bazazzagiya quoted Hafsat Abdulwaheed, the author of the Hausa novel ‘So Aljannar Duniya’ as saying that she did not consider the famous Hausa author, (who is now considered an indigene of Zaria), Sir Abubakar Imam as a CREATIVE writer, rather, she considers him more of an analytical writer. Her reason(s) were, Imam was given a collection of books from which he wrote his books. She added that if she has such an opportunity, she can write a thousand books. This did not go down well with Mai Bazazzagiya who considered it a direct affront to the uncontestable acclaim of the ‘Zaria' indegine - Sir Abubakar Imam of blessed memory. Thus, Mai Bazazzagiya concluded by asking for the views of his Facebook followers. He got many. 

On the 1^st December 2016, Mai Bazazzagiya again made another Facebook post titled ‘BBC HAUSA KANWA UWAR GAMI!!!’ literally meaning BBC Hausa, Strife instigators. Emotionally, Mai Bazazzagiya stated that at a period where they are facing challenges in promoting the Hausa language, BBC Hausa is planting a seed of disharmony amongst them. He narrated another episode of about three years. It was again another BBC Hausa interview. Prof. Dandatti Abdulkadir was the one interviewed. In the said interview, Prof. Dandatti stated that Sir Abubakar Imam was not the sole author of ‘Magana Jari ce’ series. Mai Bazazzagiya said that Prof. Dandatti repeated the same thing in a recent gathering of 2016 Hausa writers in Kano. Mai Bazazzagiya said he could not help, but approached Prof. Ibrahim Malumfashi, the renowned known and respected authority in the writings, publications and history of Sir Abubakar Imam. According to him, Prof. Malumfashi responded that he is aware of Prof. Dandatti’s view on Abubakar Imam, but they are false. Mai Bazazzagiya asked why Prof. Malumfashi never countered Prof. Dandatti. Prof. Malumfashi again told him that Prof. Dandatti is their mentor and he has never made such pronouncements in his presence. However, any day he makes such statements in his presence, it would amount to a direct challenge to him, and then he will respond. Mai Bazazzagiya concluded his post by stating that the statement of Hafsat Abdulwaheed was definitely related to Prof. Dandatti’s pronouncements on Imam three years ago. He thinks it is the highest politics of scholarship. 

Sulaiman S. Mai Bazazzagiya was not done. On the 2^nd December 2016, he visited his Facebook again with another post titled ‘MAKIRKIRI DA MANAZARCIN KAGAGGEN LABARI: Shi ilimi kogi ne’ (Creative and Analytical Fiction Writer: Knowledge is infinite). In that post, he challenged Hafsat Abdulwaheed and those with similarly opinion to differentiate between a ‘Creative and an Analytical Fiction Writer’, which would enable him to properly identify where to place Abubakar Imam and Hafsat Abdulwaheed as writers respectively. Hafsat in that interview explained that she wrote her book based on the true story of a ‘force’ marriage of her sister to a Libyan man. Similarly, based on the collection of books Imam read, wrote his books. So, what is the difference between Imam and Hafsat in regards to a ‘creative and an analytical’ fiction writers, Mai Bazazzagiya asked? However, he agreed that there are ‘Creative and Analytical Writers’ and he illustrated with poetry, his area of specialty. A creative poet, he said could study collections of poetry and come up with a unique poem, while analytical poetry writer x-rays different aspects of the poem. He posits that as long as Imam did not ‘copy and pasted’ a work, there is creativity in bringing a different write up. 

I think Prof. Malumfashi heard the cry of anguish from Mai Bazazzagiya and decided to dust his sword and wore his armor and stepped into the battle ground to rescue his mentee. 
Prof. Ibrahim Malumfashi is versatile; an academic per excellence. Academics is his first calling, while the media, his love. He is known to be a workaholic. He spent better part of his life teaching and researching extensively in the field of translation, Hausa fiction, drama, and literary history, and is one of the leading authorities on Hausa women writers in Nigeria. He has published books and several articles and chapters in many journals. He was a fellow (2007) and is now a member of the Centre of African Studies at SOAS, University of London. Born in 1962, Prof. Malumfashi obtained his PhD in Hausa studies (with specific focus on the writings and times of Sir Abubakar Imam) in 1999. He is a professor of Hausa literary history at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto for many years. He worked for the Voice of Nigeria and is currently the Dean of Post Graduate School at Kaduna State University, where he is on Secondment from UDUS. No doubt, he is a literary giant. 

On the 2^nd December 2016, the Professor presented Sir Abubakar Imam to the world in response to the ongoing melodrama. Graphically, Prof. Malumfashi gave us a ‘concise summary’ of who Sir Abubakar Imam was in series. So far four (4) series are out. In his opening remarks, Prof. Malumfashi stated that he promised to discuss this issue here, meaning on Facebook because of the recent happenings and at all times when Sir Abubakar Imam is referred to as ‘an experts of experts’ in the area of Hausa lexigraphy and syntax. He appealed to the readers understanding. He appealed to everybody to be opened minded, to desist from the use of foul language and baseless attacks. He promised that the aim of the voyage is to simply share knowledge. He reminded the readers that by June 2016, the man in question, Sir Abubakar Imam departed this world some 35 years ago. 

To be fair to Malumfashi, sometimes back, he has admonished Hafsat on her position regarding Imam. Malumfashi recalled the interview granted by ‘his teacher and the teacher of his teachers’, where it was said that he stated that Abubakar Imam was not the sole author of ‘Ruwan Bagaja’. Malumfashi confessed that by that time a cat got his tongue, so, he was not able to say anything, but he knew it was not true. He also acknowledged the number of people who sought for his intervention in the matter, but he did not. He said Hafsat Abdulwaheed heard that interview and called him to resolve the matter for her. The Professor said he told her that the stories going round about Abubakar Imam were not true and he even made effort to inform her how the book was published. But having made up her mind, she laid claim on what the big Professor said. Prof. Malumfashi was surprised that it is now Hafsat that was quoted as making the statement that Imam is not a creative but an analytical writer. He said he believe something is amiss. The Professor hoped that somebody is not responsible for influencing BBC Hausa to deliberately disseminate such baseless falsehood.

Professorially, Malumfashi started his series in defense of Imam and his legacies by stating that if he says that Imam did not contribute to the development of Hausa lexigraphy, he may not be wrong. According to him, a convener does not contribute to his event; rather, he receives contributions from well wisher. Emphatically, the Professor stated that as far as Hausa literature is concerned, Imam is the convener, who found, shaped and reshaped, designed and redesigned and properly erected the cornerstone of the Hausa literary foundation. He however emphasized that it is a good thing for scholars to dig into history of forbearers so that the present generations would learn from them especially today, where everything has turned upside down. Having x-rayed Imam’s selfless service to Nigeria in various theaters of national building, Prof. Malumfashi concluded that there was no writer like Imam in his generation and there is none in the present generation and there would be none in future as far as written Hausa is concern. Ha! 

This is the background, in which I could not help, but to unsheathe my sword. The question is, what is my stake in this? I am not in any way here to champion the Hausa language, no. Yes, I have an unreserved, unalloyed, unadulterated reverence for Sir Abubakar Imam. In fact, in my small world, I don’t think there is anybody, (that including his biological relatives), who place Imam in the highest pedestal of esteem as I do. Tukur Abdulrahman, the MD of New Nigerian Newspapers can recall our discussion on this subject matter. My position is, in grading contributors to the making of Northern Nigeria by indigenes, Sir Abubakar Imam scored higher than Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the only Premier of Northern Nigeria. Let me quickly clarify that by Northern Nigeria, I am referring to edifice created by colonial masters. So, that clearly leaves the great reformer Sheik Usmanu Danfodio out of my scoring list. Many might not agree with my scoring that is why I said I am a lone star in my reverence for Imam.
However, the unsheathing of my pen has nothing to do with my position on Imam, although, I would use him as my subject of analysis in this discourse. My primary reason for venturing into this adventure is the implication(s) of this to younger writers and emerging writers. While, Mai Bazazzagiya may be more concern on the dent to Hausa language and our father, teacher and mentor, Prof. Malumfashi is forced to come out because somebody has touched the core of his scholarship, I am more concerned with the grass that suffers when two elephants fight. In this case the aspiring writers. 

I intend to cover three areas….

-TO BE CONTINUED-