By A'isha Biola Raji
The most important values my parents, especially my late grandfather (may Allah rest his soul) taught me and my parents are love and respect for humanity. This was exemplified at a recent visit to Katsina state on assignment.
As a person, I find it difficult to accept anything short of these from people around me. Let me ask this question, is it easy to show love, and respect humanity when you are not being the two qualities yourself? I already have an answer to my question and the answer is embedded in my experience during my journey to Katsina where I spent three days.
Katsina state was carved out of the old Kaduna State in September 1989. It is bounded in the north by Niger Republic, in the east by Kano State, in the south by Kaduna State and by Sokoto State in the west.
The state is made up of two emirates which feature prominently in the establishment of the seven Hausa Kingdoms.
The lineage between Bayajida and Daurama produced the founders of Daura, Katsina, Zaria, Kano, Rano, Gobir and Biram. The legendary Kusugu well where the snake called Sarki was slain is one of the tourist attractions of Daura. Katsina was founded by Kumayo and before the Fulani conquest had been an important seat of learning and a commercial centre of the trans-Saharan Trade. It provided one of the earliest education centers of the north.
Another important tourist attraction is the Gobarau Minaret built about 300 years ago. It was built of baked clay and mud and has been a thing of wonder to the inhabitants of the city. Legend has it that in those days, because of its height, it was used for surveillance purposes from where warriors could see enemies advancing on the ancient city.
The people are loving, caring and I noticed how prosperous they appear though I have not checked records to know which position the state is in the list of either poor or rich states in Nigeria but from what I saw, they live comfortably well even much better than a lot of people living in the so called "big cities" of Nigeria.
They exude peace hence they have been living peacefully compared to some of the states in the northern region of our country.
They have large hearts to accommodate even strangers in their midst, they have love therefore, they give love which I cherish more than anything in this wide world because it is song I have heard from my parents all my life.
Throughout my three days stay, I did not see them argue, exchange words, drag road not to mention a fight. When a person drives rough or misuses the road, the other is quite patient to let him go without uttering any form of abusive word or gesture.
Could it be as a result of what they eat and how they care for their immediate environment? They eat vegetables fresh from farms. They sell meat in the confine of net protecting the meat from flies. There is a saying that, keeping one's environment dirty results to having dirty mind or even thinking of evil, so maybe Katsina people have clear mind through their effort in keeping their environment free from air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and even human pollution because they welcome visitors with open and clear mind, a face full of smile, the visitor has no option than to return these kind gestures.
What surprised me most is the way, men in Katsina respect women; they seem to know the secret of success in this world lies in the happiness of women. According to one musician " better life for women is better life for men, better life for women is better life in the world therefore, if you meet a woman treat her better, if you treat her better, it will be better for you".
I neither heard any sarcasm statement uttered to any woman nor notice an action indicating any form of superiority from their men towards their women or any woman at all.
A motorcyclist in Katsina will not move when a woman is trying to climb his motorcycle until she tells him to do so.
A man riding a tri-cycle will not move until the woman asks him to do so. Just as it is in both religious books; showing care and compassion to weaker sex or somebody much younger or better still, whoever you are stronger than is giving respect to such people and it does not, in any way reduce the giver of such care, rather it elevates him.
This experience has equally answered my question that you cannot give what you do not have. Katsina people have love in their hearts, so they give care and by so doing have peaceful and conducive environment where any peace loving person will like to visit.
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