[AfricanLanguages] Hausa language "Freedom Radio" programs published as book

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 08:15:11 -0700

FYI, this review from the Kaduna (Nigeria) paper, the Weekly Trust, was seen on AllAfrica.com at http://allafrica.com/stories/200607070099.html .  An interesting - and rare - example of a link between African language broadcasting and publishing...  DZO
 

Nigeria: 'Freedom Radio' Programme Debuts in Book Format
 
Weekly Trust (Kaduna)
http://www.dailytrust.com/weekly/home.htm
BOOK REVIEW
July 1, 2006
Posted to the web July 7, 2006
 
Reviewed by Musa Umar Kazaure
Kaduna
 
Birgiman Hankaka (Book I), A Collection of Social Re-orientation Radio Discussion By Adamu Aliyu Kiyawa
 
The release of the book, Birgiman Hankaka 1, by Adamu Aliyu Kiyawa, an educationist and veteran radio broadcaster/journalist in Kano recently has provided Hausa readers across the country an opportunity to benefit from the enormous information and knowledge that had hitherto been the exclusive of radio listeners in Kano. The 105-page is a reproduction of his popular weekly radio talk show, "Birgiman Hankaka", aired on Freedom Radio Kano, and anchored by the veteran broadcaster in Kano state.
 
For followers of the highly educative programme which aired at 8 pm on Wednesdays, the conversion of the weekly radio discussion into a book form by the author signifies the underlying importance of the issues raised and discussed by listeners as well as documenting for posterity views of the Kano public on biting social issues and their own proffered solutions.
 
The book, written in plain easily-understood Hausa Language, covers eleven editions of the programmes divided into chapters. The first chapter, titled Tazarceradiyya (Elongation of Tenure), began by tracing the history of independent African nations and how pioneer leaders of some of these countries attempted elongating their stay beyond their allotted time. Some succeeded, some failed. He also discussed the misapplication of democracy in most African countries, and defined what makes democracy work in most successful democratic governments of the world, and how our cultural and traditional antecedents affect our practice of democracy negatively.
 
The second chapter, titled Kasar Barayi (Land of Thieves), began with a scenario of a visitor from a foreign land who wondered aloud why cups, kettles, wall-clocks and amplifiers which are provided in most mosques had chains or iron cage protecting them. The answer, the author said, is obvious: "To protect them from being stolen". He discussed the good old days when shops were without burglar proofs, cars were left outside the houses, buildings were left open without prison-like walls called fences, and houses were without security guards.
 
The third chapter titled, Satan Jarabawa (Examination Malpractices in Schools), discussed the genesis of the scourge and why it has assumed its present notoriety. Malam Kiyawa also discussed the role of teachers, examinations officers, money, parents and many other factors responsible for this social and educational problem.
 
Chapter four of Birgimar Hankaka 1 dealt on the issue of election-rigging in Nigerian society. He not only dissected the problem and proffered solutions but also saw it as the major cankerworm to the development and nurturing of a true democratic culture among African countries, including Nigeria.
 
The author also chose, Raina Kai (Inferiority Complex) as the topic of his fifth chapter where he drew from his experiences when he was the Commissioner of Lands and Urban Planning in Jigawa state. He cited how Nigerians would work their heads, hands and feet off while serving a white contractor at the project site while they cause all sorts of delays and go-slows when serving black or indigenous contractors. He listed various aspects of our daily activities that such Inferiority Complex has crippled our progress.
 
The 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th,10th and 11th chapters of the book discussed "Leaders as Mirrors of their people"; "Is Criticism an Opposition"; "Lack of Foresight"; "The Waning Reading Culture"; "How Old Are You?" and "Planning Ahead".
 
In all, the author blended his experience as a former teacher at Danfodiyo University Sokoto; his experiences as a former journalist/editor of Albishir newspaper and BBC Hausa Service; his experiences as Super Commissioner in Jigawa State having held three ministries (Lands, Information, Education) and his present exposure to the running of an educational institution in Kano, to bring home to the readers the hard truth about the issues discussed in the programmes.
 
A graduate of Ahmadu Bello University and a holder of Masters Degree from the University of Wisconsin in the United States, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Kiyawa hopes the conversion of his talk show into book form will afford Hausa readers an opportunity to gain from the in-depth discussions on social-political issues in his Birgimar Hankaka talk show that has now become a household name to Freedom Radio listeners in Kano and other neighbouring states.
 

Kazaure, a journalist, is the Kano Bureau Chief of Media Trust.
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