I edited news for Nigerian troops during World War II
We used the railway to circulate the Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo
The Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo used to circulate in the UK
There was no brown envelop journalism during our time
Today clerks on grade level 4 buy cars worth millions of naira
Some papers publish tatsuniya (Hausa word for fiction) as “news”
Sardauna is one leader the North would miss forever
Nigeria’s hope lies in justice and equity
Weekly Trust: Tell us briefly about your background
Alhaji Mamman Kolo Zugurma: My name is Mamman Kolo Zugurma. I hail from Zugurma district in Mashegu Local Government Area which is under Kontagora Emirate of Niger State. I was born at Zugurma in 1925; the year in which the Prince of Wales visited Nigeria. My father was Umar Isah Kolo. He was the royal father of Zugurma. He died on December 15, 1942. My mother was Amina.
What was your childhood like?
I had Qur’anic education at Zugurma that lasted for eight years before I was taken to elementary school in 1934. Many of the tools of socialization you have today such as television, satellite cables, computers and GSM phones were not there when were growing up. Our childhood activities were limited to the things around us.
The name Zugurma, your birthplace, sounds more Hausa than Nupe. What is the source and meaning of the name?
Zugurma is a Nupe town. Although I am Nupe by tribe, I don’t know the meaning of the name. When the Fulani jihadists of the 19th century Sokoto Caliphate in company of “Man-na-dan-yan-dondo-na” corrupted by Hausa speakers as “Mallam Dendo” arrived Rabba, the then capital of Nupe kingdom; the ruling Habe king, Etsu Majiya (we were told) fled to where Zugurma is today, founded and gave it the name. The Nupe expression “Man-na-dan-yan-dondo-na” means “the scholar who wore or hanged everything (including a copy of the holy Qur’an, slate, pen, kettle, praying mat, inkpot, etc)”.
How far is Kontagora from Zugurma?
The distance is over a hundred miles.
What about your education?
I attended Kontagora Elementary School from 1934-1938. After that, I went to Niger Middle School (now Government College, Bida) in 1939 and graduated in 1944.
While at the elementary school, how were you going to Kontagora from Zugurma at that time?
We went on foot. There were no vehicles for transportation.
How long did it take you on foot?
We spent six days to go on foot to Kontagora from Zugurma; carrying our school boxes on our head.
Who were your teachers at the Kontagora Elementary School?
My teachers were Alhaji Usman Benu (son of Nagya in Bida); Alhaji Usman Dzukoko; and Malam Ahmadu Dagoto.
Who were your teachers at the Bida Middle School?
Alhaji Aliyu Makama who was our headmaster; Alhaji Aliyu Ilyasu; Alhaji Ibrahim Tako Galadima; Alhaji Ibrahim Madaki Agaie; Alhaji Shaibu Naibi from Abuja (now Suleja); and Alhaji Hassan.
What of your classmates?
At the Middle School, Bida, we were 31 in our class. Only three of us are alive now. Myself Mamman Kolo Zugurma; Mustapha Tsoeda from Bida and Malam Umaru Agaie (Cekpa of Agaie). The other two started their career as railway workers.
After the Middle School, where did you go to?
I took up an appointment with the Zaria Translation Bureau, which was later renamed and called Literature Bureau.
How did you get to start your career at the Translation Bureau?
There was a request from the Bureau asking for a Nupe man who spoke Hausa so fluently that he could be considered a first speaker of the language. My teachers at the Bida Middle School thought since Hausa was my second language which I also studied in the school, I was a candidate who deserved to be considered for the offer and my name was thus submitted for the job.
What were your schedules at the Translation Bureau?
We conducted proficiency examinations for Europeans employed then to come and work in Nigeria. At that time, those of them engaged by the colonial administration were given time to learn the language of communication, colloquial Hausa, to ease their interaction with native authority workers.
How long were the Europeans given to learn Hausa before you examine their proficiency?
About six months.
For how long did you work at the Translation Bureau?
I worked there between 1944 and 1957. The Translation Bureau later became Literature Bureau which again later transformed into Gaskiya Corporation on April 1, 1945.
What were your duties at the Gaskiya Corporation?
Gaskiya Corporation was the publisher of the Gaskya Tafi Kwabo, a Hausa newspaper. The printing was initially done in Jos. I was a Sub-Editor for the paper. I was also in charge of circulation and distribution.
What work did you do as a sub-Editor for Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo?
Apart from news reporting, I edited news during the Second World War for Nigerian troops overseas. We used to source news for Nigerian troops serving then in India, Boma and other places. Copies of the news bulletin were sent to Lagos for distribution to our troops at the war front. The bulletin was called “News for Nigerian Troops Overseas”. Through it, Nigerian troops got to know about the happenings back home.
Why were you printing the paper in Jos?
At that time, there were no printing machines in Zaria, but later we started printing the paper in Kaduna.
As officer in charge of circulation, how did you operate at that time?
We used the railway to circulate the newspaper. There was an arrangement between Gaskiya Corporation and the Nigerian Railway Corporation by which railway stations were used as distribution centers for the paper to reach our agents. Today, it is sad that the railway has collapsed.
Was Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo a daily newspaper?
It first started as a weekly paper. Later, it became a bi-weekly publication. If I remember correctly, it came out on Mondays and Thursdays.
As Sub-Editor at Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo, did the ‘brown envelop’ syndrome exist during your time?
I never heard of it. There was no ‘brown envelope’ in journalism during our time. When you are sent out to do a story or follow it up, you don’t expect anybody to give you anything.
Why was there no ‘brown envelop’?
There was no corruption then in the practice of journalism. Things, unlike what they were before, have changed. Materialism has become part of modern man. Many of those who give brown envelopes especially politicians do so for ulterior motives such as cheap popularity.
Tell us how the title ‘Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo’ came about?
It means “Truth is worth more than a penny.” It pays to say the truth. The paper was not a praise-singer of government. The news and information readers got from the paper were by far worth more than the cover price.
What was the cover price then?
Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo sold for only one kobo.
Was there any northern paper before “Gaskiya”?
No. “Gaskiya” was the first indigenous paper in northern Nigeria. It was read in all parts of the country by those who could read Hausa. In fact, our circulation of the paper covered the United Kingdom.
Why did you have to extend the circulation that far?
Colonial administrators whose tenures had expired and returned to the United Kingdom were interested in knowing about how Nigeria was faring after their departure. We had an agent in London who distributed the paper [Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo] for us.
What accounted for the fame of the Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo especially among its readers at the time?
The reason is that the paper published truths only, no less. It carried the best information readers could get at that time. The paper did not publish “tatsuniya” (Hausa word for fiction) which is what some papers carry today as news. In fact, even if a matter were mere story, it was considered genuine and factual when published by the Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo. That was the reputation achieved by the paper. We never had libel cases at the Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo.
What do you mean by “tatsuniya” as “news” in today’s newspapers?
It is “tatsuniya” when reporters sit down to write anything that comes to their mind without cross-checking the facts.
What do you have to say about the collapse of the Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo and the New Nigerian newspapers?
Materialism, like I said, is a factor in the crisis confronting us. Before now, leaders worked to make name, but today they work for self-enrichment through the embezzlement of public funds. The late Premier of Northern Nigeria Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello is one leader the region would miss forever. Many of his legacies, apart from the Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo, had been destroyed. Premier was a detribalized leader. Sardauna carried everyone along.
Where did you go from Gaskiya Corporation?
I transferred my service in October 1957 from Gaskiya to the public service of the Government of Northern Nigeria.
Why?
The appointment at Gaskiya was not pensionable. The hope of every public servant is to give his best while young and to enjoy the benefits of monthly pension in retirement. So, I joined the services of Northern Tegional government where I would be entitled to pension after retirement.
How much is your monthly pension now?
I don’t have to tell you (laughter).
But readers would like to know.
What I received as gratuity after retirement in 1980 is chicken fee compared to what is paid today. You find public servants retiring today and collecting millions of naira.
Tell us now about your monthly pension?
They could guess what it is by comparing what public servants earned in the past with what they are paid today.
But guess work may not be good as the exact figure.
My pension as a retired Permanent Secretary after working for 35 years is very small. We are told that pensions are being reviewed upward, but that is taking too long. The amount is pitiful.
That is why it is good you mention it.
It is sufficient to take what I have said.
On what position did you begin your career with the Northern Regional government?
I started as an Assistant Executive Officer-in-Training; posted to the establishment section of the Ministry of Works.
What did it mean to be an officer-in-training?
It was meant to equip such officers with the practical skills required by their job. It was a kind of on-the job-training. During the period, you will be taught civil service rules, Financial Regulations (FR); etc.
How long did such training take?
It depends…but for an Assistant Executive Officer, it lasted six months.
How was promotion in the civil service then?
You spend not less than three years to be eligible for promotion to the next rank. In fact, it was after three years in the first instance that your appointment will be confirmed to become permanent and pensionable.
Tell us about your progression in the public service?
In December 1959, I was posted to the office of the Agent-General (Northern Nigerian Recruiting Agency), London, as one of the staff to take over recruitment from the Crown agents.
Did you lobby for that posting?
Lobby? Why? Those responsible for postings looked for whoever they thought was best suited and such was posted there to do the job.
But lobbying is characteristic of today’s civil service?
People lobby because they are not qualified to do the job they are asking for. Where systems work, you don’t have to blow your own trumpet. And because people lobby for positions they do not deserve, we have failures all over. People cannot perform because they are round pegs in square holes.
When did you return to Nigeria from your postings at London?
I returned to Nigeria in 1962 and was posted to the Northern Nigeria Scholarships Board. I was in charge of scholarship awards and placement of students in Nigeria and overseas institutions.
How many of your children did you favour with overseas scholarship?
None. Most of them graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
Any difference between the management of scholarship awards during your time and what obtains today?
Yes, we didn’t have “ghost students” during our days. In our time too, we didn’t send students abroad to read courses that were available in Nigeria.
What happened to your service after the defunct of Northern Nigerian government?
I transferred my service to North Western State with capital at Sokoto. I had several postings including one to the Cabinet Office under the Ministry of Finance during which time I travelled to several European and Asian counties as required by my schedules as officer in charge of overseas recruitment.
Name some of the countries you visited?
Italy, India, Pakistan, America. In Africa, I visited the Sudan and Egypt.
How long did you remain in the service of North Western State government?
I was posted to Minna as Divisional Secretary in 1975. I was later transferred to Zuru in the same capacity. In April 1976, I transferred my service to the public service of Niger State and was posted to Bida as Divisional Secretary.
Did you go for any training during those years?
Yes. I attended a course for overseas communication staff in London in 1960; a diploma course at University of Ife 1970-1971; and a Senior Administrative course at the Royal Institute of Public Administration in London in 1974.
So, how did it go in the Niger State public service?
I was appointed Permanent Secretary on July 22, 1976 and was posted to the Ministry of Establishments and Service Matters. I retired from the public service of Niger State government on March 1, 1980.
How do you see civil service of your time and that of today?
The difference is in terms of discipline. I don’t think discipline exists any longer in the civil service. When people lack discipline, there would be no productivity.
What’s your view about the preference given to qualification over experience in today’s civil service?
That is why you have officers who cannot write memos because they didn’t rise through the ranks. During our time, you start your career as a 3rd class clerk; then 2nd class clerk; then 1st class clerk; then Assistant Chief Clerk; then Chief Clerk until you rise to the peak. Politics is part of the problem. Politicians bring those who have little or no idea of civil service to occupy positions that empower them to decide the fate of career civil servants. Some of the qualifications presented today by people are even forged.
How many personal cars and houses did you have when you retired 33 years ago?
I took a house- loan of N20,000 in 1976 to build the only house I have (where this interview is taking place now). I had only a car which I bought with a loan from government. It is sad that even clerks on Grad Level 4 today buy cars worth millions of naira with nobody asking questions.
Why is it so?
Because of bribery and corruption. In the past, if you collected a loan of 20 pounds to buy a Raleigh bicycle, but instead bought a bicycle worth more expensive than the amount of the loan, you will be queried by the Accountant General in the Ministry of Finance to explain how you got the difference. In those days, you had just one month after collecting a car loan to submit the receipt of purchase and particulars of the car to the office of the Accountant-General; failure of which attracted queries from the Accountant General. If your explanations were not good enough, a letter would be issued directing you to return the loan in full to the Treasury.
Do you believe in the acclaimed fight by government against corruption?
Let me ask you: How many corrupt public officers have the anti-graft agencies jailed?
Nigeria was not as bad as it is today. How did we get in to the mess?
Because everyone wants to live above his income. People have turned public offices in to business centers where they “must” make as much money as they could.
How do you see the future of Nigeria having seen yesterday and today?
Unless something is done, we shall soon get to a situation where a hungry poor Nigerian will snatch kunu (Hausa word for pap) from the hands of another who is able to afford breakfast. We are sitting on a time bomb. Since Sheikh Ahmed Lemu submitted the report of the presidential committee on post-election violence, what has government done with the white paper? Many things are wrong with this country including mismanagement and fraud. I cannot tell you exactly how many months I am being owed my monthly pension, because it always came in arrears; forcing one to lose count of unpaid months. When you are owed three months or more, for instance, you are paid for only one month. With all the allegations against somebody called Maina who mismanaged pension funds, he still walks about freely, defying invitations from the Senate which requested him to appear before it. If not because I’m blessed with children, the story I am telling now could have been different.
If the late Sir Ahmadu Bello were to hear about the current situation in the country and particularly in the North, how do you think he would react?
Sardauna will weep if he were to come back. Didn’t you read the response at one time by Aisha Umar Yusuf (a Columnist with the Weekly Trust newspaper) on behalf of Sardauna when a foundation was to be initiated in his name? She quoted Sardauna saying: “Foundation in my name? No, Thank you”.
Any difference between today’s politicians and those of the First Republic?
Politics today belongs to liars, hypocrites and betrayers. There was a time when Sardauna appointed a classmate of his as Chief of Protocol. When he sought advice on how much salary to place the officer, the salary of a minister was suggested; and Sardauna got angry saying: “is it because the person involved is my classmate?”
Any hope for Nigeria?
Our hope lies in justice and equity.
How many wives have you?
I have one wife.
Just one wife?
Yes, Allah enjoins us to marry only one wife if we fear that we may not be able to be just in dealing with them.
You mean one wife all your life?
Some of them are late and others divorced.
Do you have any national or international awards?
I have none. However, I give gratitude to Allah every day of my life.
How many children do you have?
I am blessed with 21 children; 18 of them are alive.
What is your happiest moment in life?
The day my wife gave birth to my first child.
Why do you consider that to be an extraordinarily exciting event?
You see, I had a friend who got married the same time with me, but never had a child until his death. He married young girls, divorcees and widows at different times. Yet, he was never blessed. It’s a great thing of joy to have children, because children are assets money cannot buy.
What about a sad event you will never forget?
The day my father died.
