When news about the millet counters in Yauri broke out, it was received with mixed feelings and reservations in some quarters. The opinion was that their decision to count grains in a 100kg bag of millet was borne out of idleness and joblessness.
Although the district head of the area, Sarkin Yakin Yauri, told Daily Trust on Sunday that many of the youths who are engaged in the counting exercise were graduates and gainfully employed, our correspondent was in Yauri to unmask those behind the counting, as well as their commitment and seriousness.
Suleiman Muhammed Utono is a lecturer at the College of Basic and Advanced Studies in Yauri. The Computer Science specialist is also a network administrator in the school while he also manages the college’s website. He said he was involved in the millet counting exercise because of its intellectual advantage to the society.
“Mathematics and counting are related. There is the need to revive the culture of counting and encourage people on mathematics. From my experience as a lecturer I found that these days many of our students know little or nothing about counting. Counting the millet grains in millions will boost the counting culture in our society. It will help us to know numbers in millions and how to add them up. The millet counting that became an intellectual exercise today started as a result of our debate on topical issues. We agreed that instead of arguing for nothing, there was the need to go into counting to be able to ascertain the number of grains in a 100kg bag. It is innovative. I have searched through the internet to know if anybody anywhere in the world had ever attempted to do what we are doing, but I haven’t seen where anybody attempted to do what we are doing today. This is the first time in the whole world when a group of youths embarked on knowing the actual number of grains of millet in a 100kg bag. What it means is that anything can be counted if there is determination. We believe that nothing is impossible to do if the determination is there.
I think it is commendable that we embarked on the exercise, and today, the world has beamed its searchlight on us. Many people from different parts of the world have picked interest in what we are doing and are eager to know its outcome. I know its outcome will bring about other things that will be useful to the society. I will advise that we follow our minds. If we think something is worth doing to benefit the society, no matter how difficult it is, we should do it. I am particularly happy to be one of the millet counters.
Adamu Tasi’u is a dental health personnel at the General Hospital, Yauri. He is also into carpet and farming businesses.
“I am also the assistant manager at the A. A Haladu and Brothers Trading Company. I am involved in the millet counting because I see it as something that is intellectually engaging. It is something nobody has done before and I feel we may be able to know the number of the grains in a bag of millet that would be enough to feed the people of our local government, and by extension, Kebbi State. This exercise has made many of us popular in the community and is making more people to patronise me.
“Few days ago, I received calls from China and Malaysia. One Adamu Abubakar, who is studying at a university in China, also called me. I am really happy to be part of it. We have been receiving a lot of encouragement from the Emir of Yauri and Sarkin Yakin Yauri. Now, the world has focused its attention on us. The counting will be historical and the record will be there, that we were the first set of people to embark on this type of exercise. We are not doing this because we are jobless. We have Bsc, NCE and Diploma holders among us,” he revealed.
Ahmad Sarkin Yakin is the chairman of the millet counting committee. He is a graduate who has been working as a teacher for the past 13 years. He is currently teaching at Bioraj Model Primary School in Yauri. He also engages in onion and fishing businesses. He said, “We are proud of what we are doing, and I thank God that people are appreciating us for it. Our curiosity led to the millet counting exercise. We are not illiterates. As educated people, whenever we gathered here we discuss and argue on topical issues. It was one of such issues that led to the millet counting. We are taking our time to do the counting because we realized that people from different parts of the world have picked interest in what we are doing and they want to see how we are going to do it.
“We have started preparation for the announcement of the total number of grains we counted in a 100kg bag of millet. We cannot afford to disappoint those who are waiting impatiently on us for the final counting and announcement”.
Another member of the group, Lukman Abubakar read English Language at the Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
“I am also into carpentry and tailoring. Whenever I close from work I go to our meeting place where the millet is being counted to join others. It has been very exciting and rewarding for me and other members,’’ he said.
Also, Buhari Labbo, a teacher at Ninzamiya Primary School, Yauri, said he had been teaching for over two years now.
