Sights Of Jigawa

I arrived Dutse to meet a pleasant surprise. Well tarred roads, modern state secretariat, newly built high court, an airport and more. It was a city in haste to develop. Things no doubt, have changed around here and the current governor, Sule Lamido has seen to that. The last time I was here was over two decades ago. I took time to go round the city and to talk with the Director of Press. This is the gist I came back with. Enjoy it.

Sawaba monument

A major landmark in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, is the Mallam Aminu Triangle named after the very revered, late politician, Mallam Aminu Kano. The Mallam Aminu Dutse-airportTriangle is like the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos where major political gatherings or labour rallies take place. At first glance, that is what it seems-just a place for rallies.

But located in the middle of the Triangle is a more significant monument known as the Sawaba Monument. It formed part of the 2010 Democracy Day celebration in Jigawa State. The monument runs deep with history.

The monument came as a result of a meeting of eight people on August 8, 1948. They were Babajiya Mainaja, Garba Dida, Mudi Sipikin, Abdulquadri Danjaji, Abba Mekauru, Bello Ijimu, Musa Kaula and Magaji Dambata. These eight people came up with what is now regarded as the Sawaba Declaration. Sawaba by the way, means light in the Hausa language. The declaration seeks to establish an end to injustice, abuse of human rights, cheating and the oppression of the common man.

This declaration later transformed into the first radical political party in the north known as Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU). The Sawaba Monument is painted symbolically in the colours of NEPU which are green, red, black. The names of the eight men are written in the yellow line on the monument.

In order that generations to come will not forget the contributions of these leaders, the currrent governor of the state, who himself a keen disciple of Mallam Aminu Kano built this Triangle in their honour.

White Tricycle

In Lagos it is called Keke Mauwa, in Abuja and some other towns it is called Keke NAPEP, yet in some other states, it is simply called, keke. But in Jigawa State, it is called Keke Mai kafa uku (bicycle with three legs) an improved version of the keke found in other parts of the country.

During a town hall meeting with the Talakawa (less privileged members of the society), a woman pleaded with the governor for help for pregnant women who often had to take the risk of riding to the nearest health Centre during labour on a bike or what they call Acaba. The government’s response to this plea birthed this tricycle. They are dotted all over Dutse gliding down streets like beautiful swans.

Dutse International Airport

Nestling beautifully in the middle of a vast expanse of land is the newly built Aminu Kano International Airport in Dutse. Laced with all the trappings of a modern airport, the project was built at a cost of N15 billion, a relatively cost effective budget when compared with some other airports built in recent times at more than twice this cost. For a state that had to depend on Kano State for aviation services for decades, the commissioning of this edifice is a thing of pride to the people.

The first plane landed on the airport on 5th October 2013.

Dotted round the landscape of Dutse is this leafy tree called Gawo. Gawo is not like any other tree, call it the queen of trees and you won’t be wrong. This unusual plant I was told, blooms and sheds its leaf at different times with all other existing trees. For instance, when the Gawo tree blossoms, all other trees around shed their leaves; living the Gawo tree standing like a beautiful gazelle. And when the Gawo tree sheds its leaves, that is when other trees grow and blossom.

Now amongst the locals, a common question is usually asked. Natives often wonder where the seasons go to, where does raining season go when the hamattern begins and where does hammattern go when the raining season begins. And the answer is ‘go to the top of the Gawo tree, you will find it there’.

Rocky formation

Like the city of Abeokuta in the south west named after the rocky nature of the place, Dutse, the Jigawa State capital is also named after the rocky nature of the city. In fact Dutse translated in Hausa means rock.

These rocks are beautifully scattered around the city. The delicate way the rocks sit on each other is awesome and are like little wonders all over the town. They add to the aesthetics of the city.

The unnamed estate

This estate is yet to be named. We found it however a beautiful place still unfolding. Home owners in this estate we gathered are leaders of Jigawa origin irrespective of political affiliations. As part of efforts to unite indigenes and to encourage them to own homes in their native homeland, the current, governor Sule Lamido, allotted this vast land to eminent leaders of the state and encouraged them to come build their houses there. This initiative was well embraced and the result is this emerging estate with neat rows of sights-of-Jigawahouses artfully constructed.

The beauty of this vast estate has also added to the aesthetics of the environment. The houses are modern and form what the new emerging Dutse will be. Call it an estate or a layout, with time, the name will be revealed. Whatever it will be called will just be good enough for this environmental beauty.