By Danjuma Katsina
I left Lagos after the GOCOP conference, passed the night in Kano and arrived Katsina on Friday.
After I had rested, my fourteen year old daughter, Fatima, came to me and asked, 'Baba how is Lagos? I learnt that it is a Yoruba state, I also heard that Hausa/Fulani do not enjoy staying in the state. I also heard this, I heard that ...'. How did you manage?
I simply laughed and said 'Fatima, I went to Lagos to attend the annual conference of GOCOP. At the GOCOP membership, I think I am the only Hausa/Fulani.
But I was honoured above any other member, from the airport to the hotel to feeding, and everyone was just calling my name with fondness and joviality, and teasing me.
'Fatima! you should know that at gatherings of learned people nobody cares about your ethnic, religious or regional background, everyone is only concerned with the business that took you there.
Fatima, you should know that politician government and the elites are the very ones who are using religion, ethnic and regional factors as their weapons of social division, for their own interests. They have polluted people's minds through attachments, ignorance and anger.
'Fatima, Gocop is an assembly of learned people. They have no business with what you just mentioned. Another example of a group of learned people is ASUU, which is on strike at present. It's National President is a Yoruba man, but everyday you see Hausa/Fulani members of the association defending him and the union's stance on the conventional and social media without recourse to ethnic, religious or political differences.
Initially, my conversation was only with Fatima, but before long, all her siblings had surrounded us, listening keenly to our conversation.
'Who is the leader of your association?', asked Ahmad.
'She is a lady, with the courage and brilliance of a man. Her name is Maureen Chigbo, but you can as well call her Maryam.
That was when the youngest among them jumped in ecstasy, saying: 'Dad, she is my namesake'. I smiled and said 'yes!' That was when they all started jumping and cheering her for being the GOCOP President's namesake.
Then I told them 'surprise surprise! On my next trip to Lagos for GOCOP invitation, I would go with any of you that comes second or third in his class in this academic term.'
That was when they all raised their hands, each saying he or she would be the one that will win the trip to go and see legos, and namesake of Maryam!
...Danjuma Katsina is the Publisher of Katsina City News. He can be reached through e-mail: @ www.katsinacitynews.com NNL.
