It is not surprising and unusual for Saka Raji Audu to call me a fake Hausa man while he is the genuine one since I cannot spell Bakura in Zamfara state correctly, likewise I cannot spell Maguzawas correctly and yet again I do not have an English name since I am a Hausa Christian. My answers to his first charge are that I know that there is no printer's devil in his dictionary since he is Mister perfect.
As for his second charge of my not having an English name, the whole truth is that Saka is so surprised and shocked that a native Hausa Christian from Kano can challenge his master Ibrahim Shekarau on the pages of newspaper without any fear any more.
It is either Saka Raji Audu is a serial liar as some have classified him to be or he wants to be economic with the truth just to please his master Shekarau and deceive the gullible public as he has always done.
Let me refresh his memory a bit and set some records clear and straight and to assure the general public that there are millions of us native Hausa Christians in Kano state and other Northern Hausa states like Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states. The readers may want to know that that is why from time to time some people are shown on CTV 67 Kano who are mostly Native Hausa Christians and Maguzawas said to have be converted to Islam. It is on record that despite persistent request by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kano state branch for an air time on CTV 67 Kano for just 30 minutes air time to air Christian sermon on Sundays, the Shekarau government has vehemently refused. Yet his boy Saka Raji Audu paid to do his hatchet job will call him a man of justice aspiring to be president of Nigeria. Shekarau's type of justice most be jungle justice then.
It is either Saka Raji Audu is not a native of Kano state or he must be demented or will wishfully think Christianity amongst us native Hausa must be hidden because his paymaster is subjugating us for now.
Christianity is a universal religion Mr Saka Raji Audu which is even acknowledged by the Holy Qur'an. I refer you to Holy Qur'an suratul Al-'imran (Surah 3 verse 55 -56) as well as suratul Maryam (surah 19:16-34 or even to the end.) You will agree with me that Christianity is the religion ordained by Allah as Jesus is the only 'prophet' who ascends to God.
I am proud of my faith as a Christian and also proud of my heritage as a Hausa man. My full names are Aliyu Daniel Gata if you may wish to know. But Christianity is not actually an English religion as Christianity reached England in about 400AD. Since Christianity reached Hausa land especially in Northern part of Nigeria in the 19th century, so many of our fore bearers continued to retain their native Hausa names. Foremost Hausa Christians like the first medical doctor in Northern Nigeria like Aliyu Barau Dikko never had an English name. The legendary preacher of all times that ever emerged from Hausa land Baba Idi Kano from Gwauran Dutse (Goron Duste) never has an English name. As early as the 1900s Mr Saka we had early Hausa men Christian converts who did not take English names as you will call it. Great Hausa Christians from my native Kano like Baba Idi Kano earlier mentioned and others like Revd Sule Garko, Revd Tambaya Hassan, and Revd Mai Kudi Kure are pure Hausa men that saw the truth and the truth set them free. (John's Gospel 8:32) and never took English names.
Persons like Saka Raji who under proper scrutiny may not know their ancestry origin are always out to cause mischief under the guise of Islam. That is the problem on the plateau.
While there are great people from our tribe like the Dan Masanin Kano who are out to promote peaceful co-existent faith notwithstanding, paid sycophants like Saka Raji Audu and his master will always use religion to pauperise the gullible Hausa men and Women. Saka Raji Audu should know that even Islam and Christianity are alien religions to Hausa land.
Since you like concocting lies to please those who pay your salary, I urge you to go to Gidan Murtala library in Kano and read the following books to know the truth.
1. Evangelical Christians in the Muslim Sahel. By Barbara Macgowan Cooper.
2. A History of the Church in Africa. By Bengt Sundkler, Christopher Steed.
I am sorry to repeat my self but Saka Raji Audu is a confirmed serial liar. Otherwise how can he deny the fact that there are over 80 Churches in Kano? As at the time I am writing this article, the Anglican Church along have over 40 parishes.
I have not been able to get the statistics for ECWA Church yet and the Catholic Church, which have the largest number of Churches in Kano.
It may interest Saka to know that ECWA Church actually would have started in Kano city but for the politics of the date at that time.
Therefore Mr Saka Raji Audu, are you saying your master and benefactor will continue to dish out lies as you his mouth piece have been doing just because he has the ambition of political office again.
Even with your desperate efforts to fabricate lies to cover up your master atrocities, your have never answered simple questions that demand simple answers.
Let me go to specifics this time probably it will solicit answers from you, how many times did Shekarau's government destroy Brother Haruna Dandaura's Church in Kano?
What of the ECWA Churches in Tudun Wada your government insisted on buying?
Finally Mr Saka Raji Audu, but is it not a fact the Shekarau administration has refused to give our Churches their C of Os?
It does not need one Mr Babrik's article to bring that to a front burner.
Even the smallest Christian in Kano knows that.
If mistakes are made Mr Saka, it is better to correct them instead of covering them with lies.
After all even the Prophet Muhammad SAW once said woe unto those who cover the truth with lies. They do not have any portion in paradise.
Let your master do true justice and give Churches in Kano their Certificates of Occupancy first before thinking of 2011.
Let his charity begin at home here in Kano.
Aliyu Dan Gata is my name and not Dangata as was wrongly spelt by Saka in his article.
As for using English name as Hausa Christians, I urge Saka if he is honest to visit any ECWA churches in rural areas in Kano like Tudun Wada, Kura, Karaye, Taurani, Rano and others to see whether many of the congregations are using English names. I still suggest you go to Kankia, Gumel, Kafur or Hajedia in Katsina or Jigawa states. You are simply showing your ignorance to say that a Hausa Christian must have English name. What of persons like Baba Revd Dalhatu Audu then?
Please Saka make your research before you go to the press.
Aliyu Dan Gata.
[email protected]
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