TRIBUTE TO A HERO OF THE PEOPLE;
MALAM ALHASSAN MUHAMMAD DAWAKI.
By Ibrahim Aminu Dan-Iya
*As long as we refuse to dig out history,
As long as we refuse to write history,
As long as we refuse to identify our people who did well in the past,
We will end up wearing badges to commemorate Lenin or Maotsetung*
The above statement was made by the late Mal Aminu Kano of blessed memory sometimes in 1981 at a public lecture in the Bayero university Kano.
It was one of his many attempts at reawakening this part of the world that as long as we don’t appreciate the excellent examples of our heros past we will end up recognizing and acknowledging the leadership qualities of other people and therefore emulate them in toto. The implication of that as the great leader was trying to pin point is that we will be discouraged, become hopeless and develope apathy. This will not aurgur well for our development as a people and as a country.
Our youth especially must appreciate the efforts of our people in different human endeavours with a view to ensure we move forward as a people.
Unfortunately for us the western and eastern Europe have to a large extent succeded in making us believe that we cannot make it.
To fight this belief we must dig out history, write it, spread it, internalize it and use it for our overall development.
We must appreciate the contributions of our teachers, leaders, thinkers, both male and female.
To this end I thought it is an obligation upon people like me to write a tribute and identify the qualities of one of such heros who played a significant role in shaping my thinking. He is none other than the late Teacher, Administrator, family man and politician, and indeed a deciple of the late radical politician, Mal Aminu Kano.
He is Mal Alhassan Muhammad Dawaki, my teacher during my post primary days(1973-1977).
Before outlining the qualities of this great man and inpirer, let me describe how he discovered me and the factors that drew me to him from the day we met up to his last day.
I started hearing about him few months after my entry in to Dawakin tofa secondary school in Kano state. He served as a teacher in the school before proceeding for further studies at the Bayero university Kano. Students described him as a very sociable person, a friendly teacher, master of the subject matter and an inspirer. Based on this I started admiring the man though we never met.
His love for his town Dawakin tofa made him to influence his posting back to Dawakin tofa. This time as the vice principal of the school and the first to occupy the position. The elderly man that acted as the vice principal late Mr Ayienigba was posted to the headquarters of the state ministry of education Kano.
So Mal Alhassan worked cordially with the principal the late gentleman and father to all of us Mal Imamuddeen Bello.
The atmosphere was ripe enough for me to come clother.He took care of literature in English in our class.We were then in class four(1976). The class atmosphere, the teaching, the friendliness, the learning are better imagined than described. Indeed the inspiration was great.
His teaching and the inspiration made us to have as an objective that we must persue our studies to any level. University education is a must.
I and some of my coligues became very close to him. We listened to his inspirational talk and always try to emulate his passion for education and it’s acwuisation.
At this juncture we shall outline and explain the different qualities of this great man and inspirer, who left us on Friday 22nd July ,2023. Exactly two years today.
The first quality worthy of mentioning and emulation is his simple life. His philosophy was apparently “take it easy”.
He was down to earth, not pompous at all.
Secondly he accepted it as it came. Never bothered. Some people looked at this as a weakness. However one should remember that accepting whatever comes is part of Iman ( Faith).
He interacted with the down trodden very well. On market days in Dawaki( Friday and Tuesday) he would in most cases be in one of the market stalls discussing with the villages freely with all friendliness.
He never abandone his primary school mates who never proceeded and therefore became ordinary villages with very low income unlike him.
He never hide his love for education. Unfortunately he had no time to obtain a Ph.d degree. He was in majority cases occupied with taking care of his extended family. He was the star of the family. A family dedicated to traditional Islamic scholarship.
He obtained his first degree (B.A Honours, Hausa &English) from ABU in 1974.
Went back to BUK and obtained a Masters degree in 1987.
As a politician of NEPU extraction he cared, sympathized and associated with the down trodden. He interacted with them up to his death. He never show them any descrimintion.
Mal Alhassan Dawaki was a complete family man. His wife Hajiya Abu(B.A Honours), was not an ordinary wife to Malam. She was the wife, the clothest friend and associate, the advisor, the bridge between him and other people.
Beside his nuclear family Malam extended hands of friendship, assistance and leadership to all his relatives in Dawaki and beyond. The burden was so much one of could see it very clear. He never complained.
The way he treated his students was different from any other. All of us were considered by him as his own sons. His feelings towards us was almost like that of his own biological sons.
Few examples must be given. There was a time when one of his students went to Dawaki to campaign for gubernatorial seat. Malam went to the place and even ascended the soap box and campaigned for the student who was in a different party from the ruling party in Kano state. This action led to his removal from his position as state secretary of the scholarship board.
He never complained.
Alhassan Muhammad Dawaki or AM Dawaki was an excellent intellectual,he could compete with any body in humanities. He was very very versatile. Talk to him about history, politics, administration, Nigerian factor, traditional institution, problems of education, problems in our education, child rearing,
etc, etc.
You hardly come up with a topic in which he had no idea. So versatile that you will not be tied of discussing with you
Unlike some other elders he would listen to.you carefully and add to your knowledge.
I must be grateful to him because he contributed in no small measure in inspiring me, in shaping my thoughts.
In 1978, when politicians and government were preparing for the second republic, I joined the People’s Redemption Party, PRP. I was later encouraged by Mal Alhassan to continue.
In 1981 he left his position as local government chairman and choosed to remain with Aminu Kano. When I visited him and realized that he left the government because it parted ways with Aminu Kano I was encouraged for that was the faction I supported.
It was like following Aminu kano’s popular statement;
“I have seen the light in the far horizon and I am ready to Martch in to it, alone or with any body who cares to fallow me.”
Finally my appeal to the family members and the whole members of the extended family of Mal Alhassan Dawaki is to identify with his philosophy of life especially acquiring education, examplary, care for the family and relations and leading a simple life.
His students like the wrter should continue to be proud of associating with him. These two mentioned must also continue to pray for him.
May he continue to remain in jannatul firdaus.
Family members and his students should look at the facts that even though he held a number of positions beside those under the ministry of education like, Political advisor(1983)
State commissioner in 2003 he had never associated with corruption.
The late Mal Alhassan Muhammad Dawaki who was born in 1946 in Dawaki died on Friday 22nd July 2023 after a prolong illness.
My Allah Subhanahu Wa taala forgive all his sins.
WRITTEEN BY ONE OF MANY OF HIS STUDENTS WHO WILL CONTINEU TO BE PROUD OF HIM.
Ibrahim Aminu Dan=Iya
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