A CASE OF `THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK´

Here is Hillary Clinton wearing a moslem attire,the same crime she accused Obama Barack of doing.Also guilty are Bill Clinton and George `Dubya´Bush.DUH!

HILLARY CLINTON´S SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST OBAMA

In another desperate attempt to catch up with Obama and gain some states,Clinton´s campaign team came up with another hoax that Obama is a moslem(when everybody knows he is a practising christian).They used a picture he took wearing somali clothes,on his 2006 visit to his home country of north eastern Kenya.

This `FEAR MONGERING´ tactic is unhealthy for democracy and useless;POWER or LEADERSHIP is not gotten on the basis of race or religion.Who says an African immigrant or a moslem cannot rule America?After all British immigrants,crooks,European carpetbaggers etc stole America from the Indians.Moreover, freemasons,satanists,atheists,nominal evangelicals and every shade inbetween,have ruled America.

Obama `HUSSEIN´ Barack is the people´s choice!

THE MAGNIFICENT NOK CIVILIZATION

The magnificent civilization of Nok held sway at about 500 BC and was located in North central Nigeria.This civilization was the first in Subsaharan Africa to possess the knowledge,science and artistic ability to work with metal and produce high art.Infact,it is linked to the kingdoms of Axum and Meroe of Sudan,and by extension,Egypt.

It was the mining activities of the British colonialists that unearthed the rare artifacts that came to be known as the `Nok Terracota´.In 1928,during a mining expedition in Naraguta village of Jos Plateau State,the first discovery of Nok terracota was made.This was followed by another discovery in 1932 at Sokoto,and yet another in Katsina.The most famous discovery was yet again near Jos,in the village of NOK.During mining,an artifact was found by a farmer who took it home to use as a scarecrow,a purpose it served well for a year until it was reported to the administrator,Bernard Fagg.Together with his wife,Angela Fagg,they were able to recover about 150 pieces in perfect condition and present to the world.

Terracota simply means `fired clay´.The Nok terracota figurines were modelled after male and female,kings and dignitaries,animals and household appliances such as hair combs etc.The figurines were also famous for their elaborate hairstyles and plaiting,detailed and precise lines and forms.

It is dizzying to realise that 2500 years ago,the greatest civilisation held sway in Jos;and it is a shame that the Nigerian government and scholars have not done something to study and unravel the mystery and riches of the Nok.The international community on the other hand,is only interested in secretly stealing our artifacts to use abroad.

The day will come when we will have to look inward to find inspiration and help for our problems and needs as Africans;and on that day,we will rediscover our lost greatness:for as is said,NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF CREATION!

THE PEULH;ENIGMA OF AFRICA

JAM BANDU!

The peulh or Fulani,Fulfulde,Pullo or any of the other names their subtribes are called, are truly the biggest mystery and beauty of west Africa or Africa for that matter.They have captured the imagination and admiration of people worldwide for their beauty,nobility and mystery surrounding them.

The peulh are the biggest nomadic tribe in the world and cover a vast stretch of land from Senegal,Guinea Conakry,Mali,Burkina faso,Benin,Niger,Cameroun and Nigeria.History points their ancestry to be from somewhere among the Berber tribes of north Africa,with Senegal being the point where they first made their entry.Curiously,their language instead of being of the Afro-Asiatic family,is of the Afro-Congo family.To prove this point,I would make example of a peulh sentence for ´come and eat´ and translate it into two north central Nigerian languages,which are both Afro-Congo languages.The first is the Tiv language of Benue state and my father´s language of Taroh of Plateau state.

PEULH-Ware nyame

TIV-Va nyame

TAROH-Ba Nyamri

You can see that the three languages are so similar.

Having made that point,I would like to point out that the peulh are made up of the original family who are mostly ´white people´(could they have been the original twelve white founders of the medieval Ghana empire?) and numerous other tribes that got submerged into the peulh family as a result of conquest,intermarriage etc.Some major groupings include the Torodbe,wodaabe(bororo) etc.The difference being that the other tribes practice Islam and are settled while the Wodaabe(Bororo)resisted Islamic influence and and kept to their nomadic pastoral lifestyle and still maintain some form of animism.

The turning point in the history of the fulani is the Jihad of Usman Dan Fodio who fought against the lukewarm and injust Islam of the King of Gobir and united all the tribes of Fulani in a holy war.He won and soon inspired every peulh all over west Africa to join him.They soon formed a theocratic state under Islamic law and had fulani kings ruling in every emirate of the Hausa kingdom(which covered most of west Africa).This persists up to date.

I would like to point out sadly that as a result,most fulanis became´ hausanised´ and these days ´westernised´.It is only the peulh of Niger,Cameroun,Burkina,Mali,Senegal etc who still maintain their original beautiful culture,language,attires,way of life etc.

Three things make up a true peulh:-

1.Islam/language

2.Cattle

3.The concept of pulaako

I would like to explain ´ pulaako´ as the main concept behind fulani being and culture.Pulaako signifies restraint,dignity,reserve etc.It is the hallmark of fulani life and etiquette and also serves as a true form of African conflict prevention.A peulh is supposed to behave his/herslf with modesty and restraint and refrain from showing or giving in to emotions;be it hunger,humiliation,anger etc.A true peulh thinks of others before himself and does not tolerate dishonour.

Some fulani cultural festivals/practices include `GEREWOL´ as practiced by the `Wodaabe´ of Niger.This is a festival where the male youths take turns in painting and beautifying themselves to the admiration of the females who then come and choose the ones they like,as husbands.Another one is `SHARO´ practiced by the `Bororo´ of my part of Nigeria,which is also a coming of age ceremony wher male youths take turns in flogging themselves.The idea behind this is also steeped in the concept of `PULAAKO´where you are not supposed to give in to pain or emotions.The brave ones then get the beautiful maidens.

Most people can remember the fulani by the shepherd boy who herds cattle while blowing sonorous tunes and the beautiful milk maidens who sell the sweet and sour `fura da nono`.I invoke these sweet images with the hope of awaking nostalgia of childhood memories of those sweet days gone by and hope we thank God for our blessings and heritage as Africans.

JIPPU JAM!

ps.

Some peulh websites include:

www.pulaagu.com

www.aminata.com

www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk/keith/archives/photos/index.html

www.haal-pulaar.com

CENSORSHIP BOARD STOPS SINGING AND DANCING IN HAUSA FILMS

At a meeting held on the 11th monday,february 2008 to announce the expiration of the six months ban on Hausa films,the director general of Kano state censorship board,Mallam Abubakar Rabo Abdulkareem has ordered that henceforth there shall be no more singing and dancing in hausa films.
This comes at a time when the practitioners and fans of this popular phenomenon were eagerly waiting for the return of filming activities after the ban was placed on Hausa film as a result of the Hiyana sex tape scandal.Now the baby is being thrown out with the dirty bath water,as innocent artistes and fans are being punished.
I am not against much needed changes and laws for the sick Kannywood,infact laws promoting education for the practitioners of Kannywood,standardization and professionalization of the art etc are welcome.
What I have a problem with is the fact that these draconian laws are being promulgated by illiterates,religious zealots and people who have no artistic blood.I think they will do well to separate religion from art.No artist is going to like a situation where he has to take his script for these people to censor and change before he goes on location.
Moreover,singing and dancing is what attracts most people to these films.Cruel censorship is only going to kill the film industry and not strenghten it.I am not supporting singing and dancing but I am of the opinion that it is left for the artist or film maker to decide.Realistically,some films should have singing and dancing and some shouldnt.What is more important is that good films should be made that show the beauty of our culture and do not bother on the obscene or indecency.
All those religious zealots are even some of the people who corrupt and have sexual liasons with these film starlets.We are tired of hypocrisy and double standards and as a film maker and practioner of Hausa film,I prophesy that that hausa film will commit artistic suicide,just as the poets and artistes of Russia committed suicide as a result of the draconian leadership and censorship of their leaders.