Isyaku Dikko
The beautiful town I was born and brought up is a few kilometres from MUSAWA; the home of Mamman Shata, Musa Musawa, and Bala Usman.
The death of Musa Musawa on (7/3/2023), after the death of Shata and Bala, over ten years ago, marked the end of what I call MUSAWA MAESTROS, known for their wisdom and “gift of the garb “. One of them was a star in Nigerian politics (Musa), the other in music(Shata) ,and the third an outstanding intellectual (Bala).
For us, as children, we used to think that there was something special in “Musawa water” that whoever drinks from it must be outstanding in self-expression.
Mamman Shata was the oldest. He was the most popular Hausa singer in history. At a time, there were no numbers on the plate number of his car. He just wrote: SHATA NE (it is Shata). And wherever his car was parked at any occasion, including religious functions, was the centre of attraction.
One of his boys, whose job was to introduce him to the public, always say in his introduction that Shata was an aeroplane who is known to even a woman in purdah(jirgin sama ko macen tsari ta sanka). Also, according to the man, Shata could not be humiliated even where Hausa was not spoken (ko garin da ba a Hausa).
For Bala Usman, many Northerners from the age of 50 must have heard about his academic achievements . Danmasanin Kano, Alhaji Maitama Sule, summerized the development at a public function in Katsina. He was analysing the contributions of Katsina people to national development. One of them was Bala Usman. He said, “idan kana takama da boko, to Katsina a ka haifi Dr Bala Usman.” (if you are a proud Western educated elite, you should know that it is Katsina that produced Dr Bala Usman).
As somebody who obtained his PhD. in 1974 , many of us, as children, believed that Bala Usman was the most educated Nigerian. He was a household name. I remember that in the 70s, I came back from primary school and met a guest at the entrance of our house (zaure). He was charismatic and talking authoritatively, and even as a child, I wanted to know who he was. An associate of my father said to me: “Durbi ne, Hakimin Musawa, baban Dr Bala.” (it is Durbi, District Head of Musawa, father of Dr Bala ).
The major contributions of Musa Musawa in Nigerian politics, especially as a member of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and later Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was his capacity to talk to the ordinary people in the language they understood and appreciated. For me, the most memorable words of Musa Musawa were in a reply to a journalist who asked him why a Zaria politician was attacking him perhaps because he believed that as a prince, nothing was going to happen. Musa Musawa replied: “gaskiya ne, ya gaji sarauta domin mahaifiyarsa ta auri makwafcin mai datsa ma dokin Sarkin Zazzau ciyawa” (yes, he is a Prince because his mother married the neighbour of the man who was cutting grass for the horse of Emir of Zazzau).
Nigeria had lost three Musawa giants; Musa Musawa, Mamman Shata, and Dr Bala Usman. May their souls rest in peace. Also, may their sons and daughters make Musawa proud again, especially Hannatu Musawa, Hadiza Bala Usman, and Barrister Jamila Shata. Indeed, Nigeria is indebted to OUR Musawa.
