Governor Matawalle’s most recent trip was his journey to the African Institute of Science, Administration and Commercial studies (IAEC) in Lome, Togo, and the lecture presentation he graciously offered on the occasion marking the 2022 Hausa Day which was celebrated in Kumasi, Ghana.
Matawalle was a classroom teacher has a particular interest in the education sector. He was honoured with an award in late 2020 by the IAEC with an honourary doctorate degree. The award was based on his track record and the excellent attention he gives to the education sector in his state.
No doubt, Matawalle has proven himself that he is a lover of education and very passionate about uplifting the sector at all levels. The award signified that Matawalle’s modest efforts and contributions to the development of education are noticed beyond the country. Unknown to His Excellency, the University has also named a very mammoth hall after him, which he felt so greatly honoured that he chose to unveil himself. He, therefore, paid a visit to the school to interact with the university community and to further interact with them to acknowledge the gesture.
Nigeria’s embassy in the country hosted His Excellency as a mark of respect and honour. His Excellency discussed diplomatic issues of mutual benefits between the country and his state people. The relationship created will surely benefit not only the state but it’s a sign of an important step toward the further mutual relationship between Nigeria and Togo.
Ghana-the gold coast
Ghana does not only host gold but a sizeable number of the citizens in the country are Hausa people. Hausa people speak an Afro-Asiatic language, which has little or no Eurasian element in its genetic profile, unlike the Fulani. The Fulanis speak a Niger-Congo language with substantial Eurasian elements in its gene pool.
Recently, in a paper, I stressed that the Hausa which is the language that the people called Hausawa speak has an entirely different origin from other languages most especially the Fulfulde language. What sometimes confuses people is a linguistic similarity which is not always evidence of common ethnic or racial origin.
The two languages do not have the same origin. Fulbe is closely related genetically to Igbo and Yoruba and to Ijaw and the Bantu languages. It belongs to the West Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family of languages; the family to which all these languages belong.
But Hausa is a member of the completely different Chadic family of languages (the most significant Chadic language is Hausa, spoken by about 19 million people in Nigeria) and is much closer to Sayawa, Angas, Margi, and Bachama for example, than it is to Fulfulde and its Niger-Congo relations.
In spite of this, though, it is obvious that most of the language groups that constitute present-day were once one, and a case can be made for the closeness of the relationship that existed between them in the not-too-distant past.
Interestingly, a large pool of Hausawa lives in Ghana cities like Kumasi and Accra whose origin mostly is traced to cities and towns in northern Nigeria. Prominent origins of these Hausas for example include Zamfara, Daura, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, etc. in fact, I interacted with one Alhaji Rashid Jega in Kumasi, a former personal aid to the former Vice President of Ghana late Alhaji Aliu Mahama who was originally from Mafara in Zamfara state.
Significantly, Sultan Omar Farouk Saeed, the Sarkin Zango Ashanti of Ghana, who is a Paramount Leader in the National Association of Zango Chiefs, Ghana was originally from Katsina.
Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, warmly received His Excellency where they had sessions upon sessions discussing significant issues of relevance to the state and the country as a whole. Governor Matawalle also had a long discussion with the country’s Minister of Education who instantly accepted to visit Zamfara in no distant time in order to further build a cordial relationship that will translate into educational development for the state.
The man with many crowns!
Governor Bello Matawalle is charming anywhere he is, thus attracting even those that only heard of his name. He has so many titles in Nigeria, now the titles have crossed coastal areas. He is the Matawallen Maradun, the Barden Hausa, the Shattiman Sokoto, the Danmadamin Mafara, etc. and most recently, the Fagacin Zangon Ghana. His Excellency was accompanied during the trip by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House Dr Jalaludeen Ibrahim Maradun, two executive council members of the state, the Honourable Commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Honourable Mohammed Umar Birnin Magaji, and that of Special Duties Honourable Abdulaziz Ahmed Magaji Nahuce, two Special Advisers, Honourable Zailani Bappa of Media, Communication and Enlightenment and that of Protocol, Honourable Aliyu Sarkin Pawa Gusau.
Lawal Umar Maradun, fnipr, arpa,
is a Ph.D. student Faculty of Communication,
Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.
