By Theophilus Keme
“I’m tired of being a subject of ridicule all my life!
From my own northern region were banditry and slavery has ravaged a lot of us to coming to Delta- state only to be chased away like a common criminal”
Haruna! Me ke faruwa?
(What is happening?)
This wasn’t the better life we planned leaving the North to this southern state o!
Wannan ba rayuwar gaskiya ba ce!
(This is not the life honestly!)
We’ve left our humble villages in the North due to inequality long endured from our elites, who has rather held us on the jugular that we must serve them till death!
Making us work in their farmlands and their factories with little or no freedom.
Perhaps the elites in the north perceive there is nothing an Hausa son can become -in his true land which Allah has given to him, but to be slave to the masu arziki (rich men) who owns large farmlands and ranch where we satisfy their cattles and crops- With deceitful promises- where they give us, a decade laborer any of their least appreciated daughters hand in marriage as settlement for years of slavery working in their households.
Haruna! This is bizarre!
This isn’t the better life and peace of mind we have pursued o!
A quest we made that got us sleeping in the same transport containers with goats and rams for days- in discomfort just because we are pursuing greener pastures.
Allah wannan wace Irwin rayuwa ce?
(God What kind of life is this?)
Kun halicci kowa daidai?
(You created everyone equal right?)
And we are one Nigeria in this country? but why are these people from this part of the region so cruel to us?
Why have they seen us as the only threat and the ones at fault every time there is alarm of theft, burglary, destruction and other unholy happenings in their land?
The ugly incident which happened on Monday 18th march at Okpanam road Asaba, where a number of our Hausa brothers had a slight misunderstanding has become what the people of Delta sates are using to libel us!
Even the state government has used it as the perfect strategy to rub our tribal men as the initiators and bearers of all the atrocities that’s happening in this states.
Haruna!
How can they assert such claims?
Why is our Hausa brothers always the first suspect in every ill that must happened in this country?! Why? Why? Why?!!
These stereotype they have of us as ‘trouble makers’ is a purported lie from hell. Not true!
Ka allah! Ka ga abin da ya kasance a kasar wani yana jefa mu!!
(Kai God! See what been in another man’s land is putting us through!)
Haruna we have become the scapegoats to the southerners!
Just on the 22nd Of March, the police and army came ravaging our mini Hausa-Market in Okpanna, Asaba. Haruna they set our shops and homes ablaze!!!
The memory of 22nd is one I pray not to remember, as saw our brothers and their wives ran leaving their belongings and businesses like it was a banditry attack from the evils from the North!
Ahhh Harunnnnaaa!
This action by the Governor of this state is not fair o!!!! They forget that we are also humans! We also deserve to be treated right, regardless we are foreigners!
The 22nd night was the longest I have ever had!
Ahh my eyes were heavy! So heavy yet couldn’t find any sleep- as the thought of not having a roof over my head once again became a terrible awakening! An awakening that hunted me to not find any sleep.
My heart was so heavy and loss of directions, as the only face i could think of was the face of Uwa ta (my mother). Uwa ta gaskiya!
She smiled at me and believed that my leaving the Northern region was to find greener pastures and support them back home!
Haruna!! No! No!
Please allow me to cry!
Gaskiya am tired of being a man!
I’m tired of being a subject of ridicule all my life!
From my own northern region were banditry and slavery has ravaged a lot of us to coming to Delta- state only to be chased away like a common criminal!
Gaskiya! Zan yi kuka, in yi kuka har sai na sami hangen nesa cewa duk bege na gaske ba ya bace!
(I will cry, and cry till I find a glimpse of hope that all hope truly is not lost!)
Haruna, you know what?! I won’t stop here!
I won’t give up! The fall of a man is not his end!
But you know what? The world and everybody need to know that not all of us is nothing.
Not all Hausa sons is a trouble maker, not all are petty thieves as the world have stereotype us to be like!!
Haruna this cant be my end!!
Sai anjima (See you later!)
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TRUE EVENT. On the 18th of March, Motorcyclist in Okpanam Town, Asaba, were reported to have a clash with residence and Police officers which claimed two lives and also a protest. This act were allege to be perpetrated by the hausas in Asaba, which in retaliation, led indigenes from Okpanam community with affiliation from Delta state authorities to give a strict warning to Hausas and occupant of Hausa- Market in Okpanam town of possible eviction should anything of such repeat itself again.
