Manya ɗibar fari: Tarihin Rupert East, tsanin adabin Hausa

A ranar Juma'a da ta gabata da kuma yau Juma'a, jaridar 'Aminiya' ta buga sharhin da na yi kan wani littafi na tarihin Dakta Rupert M. East wanda Dakta Aliyah Adamu Ahmad ta rubuta. Haka ita ma jaridar 'Leadership A Yau Lahadi' ta ranar Lahadi da ta gabata, ta buga sharhin baki ɗayan sa. Wannan shi ne sharhi na farko da aka yi kan littafin, wanda an wallafa shi tun bara. Ina godiya ga Malam Bashir Yahuza Malumfashi, Mataimakin Editan 'Aminiya' kuma mai kula da filin ta na adabi, da Malam Nasiru Gwangwazo, Editan 'Leadership A Yau Lahadi', waɗanda da taimakon su ne aka buga wannan sharhi a jaridun su. Ga sharhin a nan na kawo saboda masu bibiyar wannan turakar tawa.

Manya ɗibar fari: Tarihin Rupert East, tsanin adabin Hausa

Littafin tare da marubuciyar

Daga Ibrahim Sheme

LITTAFI: Rupert Moultrie East 1898-1975: Tarihinsa Da Sharhi A Kan Gudunmawarsa Ga  Adabin Hausa (Juzu'i na 1)
MARUBUCIYA: Aliyah Adamu Ahmad
KAMFANIN WALLAFA: Whales Adverts Limited, Kaduna
SHEKARA: 2017
SHAFUKA: 360


Kowa ya san Alhaji (Dakta) Abubakar Imam. Idan ba ka san shi ba, ballantana kuma a ce ba ka taɓa jin sunan sa ba, to ba ka san tarihin adabin Hausa ba; sannan ba ka karanta littattafan Hausa irin su 'Ruwan Bagaja' da 'Magana Jari Ce' ba, waɗanda Imam ɗin ya rubuta.

To amma ba kowa ba ne ya san wani mutum mai suna Dakta Rupert Moultrie East; wanda ma ya san shi ɗin, to sanin shanu ya yi masa. Shi dai R.M. East, kamar yadda aka fi sanin sa, Bature ne ɗan Ingila wanda ya zauna a Nijeriya a zamanin mulkin mallaka. Ya yi aikin koyarwa tare da riƙe muƙamai a Ma'aikatar Ilimi. To amma ban da aikin da ya yi a fagen ilimi, inda ya fi yin tasiri da suna shi ne fagen talifi da adabi. East shi ne malamin Abubakar Imam a wannan fage, domin kuwa shi ne wanda ya koya masa dabarun rubuta ƙirƙiraren labari da ma wanda ba na ƙirƙira ba. Shi ne tsanin da Imam ya hau ya kai ƙololuwar ɗaukaka ta yadda ya kasance babu marubucin Hausa kamar sa har ya zuwa yau ɗin nan.

Marubuciyar wannan littafin, Dakta Aliyah Adamu Ahmad, malama ce a Sashen Nazarin Harsunan Nijeriya a Jami’ar Jihar Sokoto da ke birnin Sokoto. Shi littafin, ya samu ne sakamakon aikin nazari da ta yi na neman digiri na uku a Jami’ar Bayero, Kano, kuma Hukumar Tallafin Ilmin Gaba Da Sakandare ta Ƙasa (TETFund) ita ce ta ɗauki nauyin buga shi.

Littafin ya ba mu cikakken labarin yadda East ya kasance marubuci, shugaban kamfani, kuma manazarci. Ya na ɗauke da tarihin East daga haihuwa har zuwa mutuwa, da sharhi kan ayyukan da ya yi a fagen adabi, musamman yadda ya taimaka wajen rayar da rubutaccen adabin Hausa na zube da na wasan kwaikwayo da tarihi da kimiyya, kai har ma da aikin jarida. Littafin zai sa duk wanda ya yi wa East sanin shanu ya san shi da kyau yanzu, kuma ya nuna mana asalin marauwar mutane irin su Imam da ɗimbin marubutan Hausa ’yan zubin farko.

Littafin ya faɗa mana cewa shi dai East, haifaffen London ne. Ya yi karatun firamare har zuwa na digirin digirgir a Oxford. Abin da ya karanta shi ne ilimin haɗa magunguna (Chemistry) da kuma harsunan Larabci da Latin da Girkanci. Ya ɗan taɓa aikin koyarwa, sannan ya shiga aikin soja a zamanin Yaƙin Duniya na 2.

Daga nan ya bi ayarin Turawan da ake turowa Afrika domin taimaka wa Birtaniya ta cimma burukan ta na mulkin mallaka. Shi sai aka liƙa shi a Ma’aikatar Ilmi domin a nan ne ya fi wayo. Da farko, an tura shi yankin Binuwai ta Arewacin Nijeriya, inda ya yi aikin koyarwa a makarantu da ke garuruwa daban-daban. Sai yankin Adamawa, inda ya shafe shekaru. Ta dalilin haka ya ji yarukan Tibi da Fulatanci raɗau. Daga bisani aka tura shi Kwalejin Horon Malamai ta Katsina inda ya koyar da ɗalibai waɗanda daga baya su ka zama mashahurai a Nijeriya, wato irin su Firayim Minista Abubakar Tafawa-Ɓalewa da Firimiyan Arewa Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardaunan Sakkwato) da Alhaji Abubakar Imam da sauran su.

Ƙofar da Dakta East ya bi ya zama babban tsani ko ma mu ce gagarabadau a fagen adabi an buɗe ta ne a cikin 1929 lokacin da gwamnati ta kafa Hukumar Fassara (Translation Bureau) a Kano, amma a 1931 an maida ita Zariya, aka naɗa East ya zama shugaban ta. Aikin hukumar shi ne fassara wasu takardu da littattafai irin su dokokin gwamnati da makamantan su daga Ingilishi zuwa Hausa, sannan ta shirya takardun jarabawar iya harsunan mu na gado wadda ake yi wa Turawa masu son zuwa Arewacin Nijeriya domin kama aiki.

Kashi na farko na sharhin a Aminiya

Bayan shekara bakwai, bisa shawarar East, sai aka sauya wa hukumar suna zuwa Hukumar Talifi (Literature Bureau) domin ya lura aikin ta ya wuce fassara kaɗai, ya faɗaɗa zuwa samar da littattafan da za a yi amfani da su a makarantu, ganin cewa ana da ƙarancin su. A matsayin East na shugaban wajen, a cikin 1945 sai ya buƙaci gwamnati ta ba hukumar kuɗi ta sawo injinan buga littattafai, maimakon a dogara ga kai aikin ɗab'i a wasu garuruwan kamar Kaduna da Jos. Dalili kenan da aka samar da Kamfanin Gaskiya (Gaskiya Corporation).

Duk da yake ayyukan da East ya yi a Nijeriya su na da tarin yawa, amma an fi kula ne da ayyukan sa a fagen adabi domin a nan ne ya fi yin tasiri. Misali, a cikin 1933 ya shirya gasar rubuta littattafan hikayoyi inda aka samar da littattafai biyar da aka buga, wato ‘Ruwan Bagaja’, ‘Ganɗoki’, ‘Idon Matambayi’, ‘Shehu Umar’ da ‘Jiki Magayi’. Sai dai wani abin lura shi ne Dakta Aliyah ta sanar da mu cewa ba wannan ba ce gasa ta farko irin ta, an yi wasu gasannin har sau biyu a baya, waɗanda ba East ɗin ne ya shirya su ba. Amma bambancin ita wannan gasar da waɗancan biyun shi ne ita ce aka buga littattafan ta, domin kuwa su waɗancan na farkon ba a buga littattafan ba, kuma ma littattafan da aka shigar a gasar duk sun ɓace.

Babban tasirin wannan gasar da East ya kawo shi ne yadda ta sa ‘ɗan ba’ a fagen rubutaccen adabin ƙirƙira na zube na Hausa da haruffan Romanci ko mu ce boko. A da, rubutaccen adabin Bahaushe a cikin ajami ya ke, kuma ya ƙunshi waƙe ne; sauran zube na ƙirƙira yawancin sa Turawa ne su ka yi shi, ba ’yan ƙasa ba.

East ya ci gaba da aiki gadan-gadan wajen bunƙasa wannan adabi da aka kawo mana daga waje, ta hanyar agaza wa marubuta da dabarun rubutu da kuma buga abin da su ka rubuta. Ta haka ne hukumar sa ta samar da ɗimbin littattafan hikaya da na addini da na waƙe da na wasan kwaikwayo da na kimiyya. A ƙoƙarin sa na gina wannan adabi, East ya riƙe Abubakar Imam, ya yi masa limanci wajen rubuta littattafai da su ka haɗa da ‘Magana Jari Ce’ da ‘Ƙaramin Sani Ƙuƙumi’.

Shi kan sa East, bai sa ido ga wasu su rubuta ba, shi ma ya shiga an dama da shi dumu-dumu. Misali, tun a gasar 1933, shi da John Tafida Wusasa ne su ka rubuta ‘Jiki Magayi’. Bayan haka, East ya rubuta kundin wasannin kwaikwayo na farko mai suna ‘Six Hausa Plays’.

Bayan haka, East ya rubuta waɗansu littattafan waɗanda ba su shafi adabi ba. Ya yi littafi kan tarihin yankin Adamawa, ya yi wani kan yadda ake yi wa Turawa jarabawar sanin makamar harsunan Arewacin Nijeriya, ya yi wasu littattafan kan nahawun Hausa, shi da Imam sun haɗu sun rubuta littafin farko kan kimiyya da harshen Hausa mai suna ‘Ikon Allah’ (kundi na 1 zuwa na 5), sannan ya yi wa wani mutum ɗan ƙabilar Tibi mai suna Akiga Sai jagorar rubuta littafin farko kan tarihin ita ƙabilar tasu mai suna ‘Akiga's Story: The Tiv Tribe as Seen by One of its Members.’ Bugu da ƙari, East ya rubuta maƙaloli da ɗan dama kan harshen Hausa, waɗanda aka buga a mujallun nazari a lokuta daban-daban.

Littafin na Dakta Aliyah A. Ahmad ya nuna mana wata gagarumar rawar wadda East ya taka a fagen aikin jarida a Nijeriya. Wannan kuwa shi ne yadda ya jagoranci kafa jaridar Hausa da ta fi kowacce tasiri tare da daɗewa a ƙasar nan, wato Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo, wadda aka kafa a cikin 1939. East ne Babban Edita, yayin da Editan ta shi ne Mr. Giles, sannan Imam ya zama Editan Hausa na jaridar, wanda ya kasance kamar mataimaki ga Giles kafin daga baya ya zama cikakken editan ta. Abin mamaki shi ne yawan kwafen jaridar da ake bugawa a kuma sayar da su tatas; a bugun farko an buga 5,000, a bugu na biyu an sayar da 8,900.

A fagen aikin jaridar dai, East ne ya ƙirƙiri jaridar Turanci mai suna Nigerian Citizen, wadda aka yi wa laƙabi da “ƙanwar Gaskiya”.

To sai dai kuma ga wani abu: Bahaushe mai ban haushi! Wai ka dubi duk da haƙilon da East ya yi wa ƙasar Hausa, amma sai da Hausawa su ka taru su ka tsinka shi a idon duniya. Me ya faru? A cikin 1951 wasu mutanen mu su ka kafa kwamitin bincike a kan East, har su ka zarge shi da rashin iya gudanar da Kamfanin Gaskiya, su ka ce wai ya kasa kawo riba, don haka ana so ya yi murabus ko a kore shi! Bai da zaɓi, domin baƙin mutum ya fara shaƙar iskar 'yanci, Bature ya fara daina ba kowa tsoro. To, haka kuwa aka yi, tilas East ya bar kamfanin da ma Nijeriyar baki ɗaya, kuma tun da ya tafi garin su da sunan hutu bai sake komowa ba har ya rasu a 1975.

Kashi na biyu na sharhin da Aminiya ta buga

Amma kafin ya tafi sai da ya kare kan sa a wajen masu zargin sa, ya ce an kafa kamfanin ne fa domin ya samar da abin karantawa, ba domin ya yi kasuwanci ya samu kuɗi ba. Kuma idan aka duba da kyau, za a ga haka ɗin ne: East ya cika aikin sa na samar da littattafai na Hausa da na Fulatanci da ma wasu yarukan Arewa, kai har ma da jaridu. Har ƙasa ta naɗe kuwa ba za a manta da waɗannan ababen karantawa da ya samar ba, kuma ana cin moriyar su.

Littafin na Dakta Aliyah ya nuna mana cewar da East ya koma Ingila, sai ya sayi gona, ya gina katafaren gida a ciki, ya shiga noma abin sa: ga kayan amfanin gona, ga shanu da sauran bisashe. Kuma ya yi aure, har ya haifi 'ya'ya biyu.

Marubuciyar ta faɗi gaskiya da ta ce al'ummar Hausawa ba su fahimci (ko in ce sun ƙi fahimtar) gudunmawar da East ya bayar ga bunƙasar rubutaccen adabin su ba. Ta nuna mana cewa a yau ɗin nan babu wani abu da za ka nuna da yatsa ka ce an raɗa masa sunan East don karrama shi; ko a Kamfanin Gaskiya da ke unguwar Tukur-Tukur a Zariya babu wani gini da aka sa wa sunan East (kamar yadda aka raɗa wa wani gini suna Imam House a kamfanin New Nigerian a Kaduna). Wannan babban sakaci ne!

Sannan wani abu da littafin ya ɗan taɓo ƙyas shi ne zaman da East ya yi da wata Bafillatanar Adamawa mai suna Hajiya Dada Sare Maimunatu Abdullahi. Sun zauna tare a tsawon zaman sa a Zariya. To amma wannan mata ta yi karatu, ta samu ilimin aikin jinya, kuma har Ingila ta je wannan karatu. A ƙarshe, sai da ta zama mace ta farko mai irin wannan ilimin a duk faɗin Arewacin Nijeriya. Bugu da ƙari, ta yi aikin ilmantar da matan Arewa. Har ma gwamnatin Nijeriya ta ba ta lambar M.O.N.

Ban da tsagwaron tarihin East da littafin ya bayar, marubuciyar ta kuma yi sharhi ko nazari kan wasu littattafan adabi da East ya rubuta, inda ta feɗe su, ta nuna mana abin da su ka ƙunsa. Littattafan su ne ‘Six Hausa Plays’ da ‘Jiki Magayi’. Wannan sashe shi ne ya cinye kusan rabin littafin. Marubuciyar ta yi bayani kan kowane labari, ta fito da hikimomin da ke ciki, tare da bayyana muhimmancin sa.

Akwai hotuna a cikin littafin, wato na East tun daga yarintar sa har zuwa tsufan sa, da na iyalin sa da kuma na ita marubuciyar a Ingila lokacin da ta je bincike kan East ɗin.

Abin sha'awa, an sadaukar da littafin ga Alhajiya Dada Sare, masoyiyar East, wadda ita ce mace ta farko da ta yi ilimin zamani a Arewa har ta riƙe muƙami a gwamnatin mulkin mallaka.

Babu shakka, an yi babban aiki a wannan littafi, wanda shi ne na farko irin sa a kan tarihin samuwar rubutaccen adabin Hausa. Ya kamata duk wanda ke nazarin adabin Hausa da ma mai sha'awar adabin ya karanta wannan littafi.

Marubuciyar ta cancanci jinjina, domin ba ƙaramin aiki ba ne a ce mutum ya zaƙulo abin da ke rufe a tarihi wanda ya faru tun a farkon zuwan Turawa ƙasar nan, ya labarta mana shi kamar jiya-jiyan nan ya faru.

Yadda 'Leadership A Yau Lahadi' ta buga dukkan sharhin

Ban yi mamaki ba da na ga manyan masana a fagen adabi har mutum uku sun yi wa littafin ta'aliƙi. Su ne: Farfesa Graham Furniss na SOAS, Jami'ar London, da Farfesa Murray Last na University College, London, da kuma Dakta Adamu Ibrahim Malumfashi na Jami'ar Ahmadu Bello (ABU), Zariya. Dukkan su sun yaba wa wannan aiki tare da nuni da cewa shi ne na farko irin sa, wanda ya kasance fitila mai haska hanya a fagen tarihin adabi da talifin Hausa.

Dakta Adamu Malumfashi ya faɗi gaskiya da ya ce, “Yin wannan bincike a kan wannan ɗan taliki abin a yaba ne. Yaba kyauta tukwici. Abin da ya dace kenan a yi wa East. A fito da ayyukan sa a fili domin kowa ya gani. Nacin marubuciyar ya sanya wasu bayanan da su ke a ɓoye sun fito fili tamkar ba a daɗe da yin su ba, alhali kuwa tun 1975 East ya rasu. Irin wannan bin diddigi da aka nuna ya kamata ya zama ƙalubale ga matasa.”

To, da yake Hausawa sun ce ba a rasa nono a ruga, na ci karo da wasu 'yan kurakurai a wannan littafi. Na farko dai, akwai matsalar rubutu inda za ka ga wasu kalmomi sun fito ba daidai ba. Wani lokacin kuma sai ka ga an gwamutsa Hausar Kano da ta Sakkwato.

Haka kuma akwai yawan maimaita magana; an faɗa maka abu ɗazu ɗazun nan, yanzu kuma sai a sake gaya maka shi sau biyu ko fiye.

A shafi na 20, an ambaci Daily Times maimakon Nigerian Citizen.

Sannan na lura, ko kaɗan littafin bai ambaci rashin jituwar da ta faru a tsakanin East da Imam ba, wanda sai da ta kai ba su ko ga maciji. Wannan ɓatawar ta malam da ɗalibi wani muhimmin ɓangare ne a rayuwar East, kuma ta taimaka wajen tozarta East da aka yi har ya bar ƙasar da miki a zuci. Farfesa Furniss, wanda ya taɓa haɗuwa da East ɗin a 1974, shi ne kaɗai a ta’aliƙin sa ya ɗan ce wani abu kan wannan ɓatawar, amma ya kamata mu ga yadda marubuciyar ta bada labarin.

Shi kan sa zaman East da Dada Sare, marubuciyar ba ta faɗi yanayin sa ba. An dai ce "uwargida" ce a gare shi, amma kuma tare su ke zaune, kuma ba aure su ka yi ba. A nan ma, Furniss da Last ne su ka ɗan ɓuntuna mana wani abu game da yanayin zaman.

Sannan Dakta Aliyah ba ta faɗi wani abu mai zurfi game da zaman East da wata Baturiya 'yar ƙasar Beljiyam ba, wato Miss Jacqueline de Naeyer, wadda ita ce ta zana hotunan da ke cikin ‘Magana Jari Ce’ da wasu littattafan, wadda kuma daga baya East ya aure ta har su ka haifi 'ya'ya biyu. Shin wane irin zama su ka yi a Zariya, kuma ya aka yi har su ka yi aure bayan sun bar Nijeriya?  Menene tarihin ita kan ta Naeyer ɗin, musamman ganin cewa ta bada gagarumar gudunmawa ga adabin Hausa ta ɓangaren zane-zane? An ce ita ce ma ta zana dukkan labarin nan na 'Sauna Jac'.

Haka kuma, ba a nuna cewa jaridar Nigerian Citizen ce ta rikiɗe ta zama shahararriyar jaridar nan ta New Nigerian a cikin Janairu 1966 ba.

Sannan ba a nuna yadda Kamfanin Gaskiya ya amshe sunan Literature Bureau ba har sunan Literature Bureau ya ɓace.

Bayan haka, littafin bai ce komai ba kan sukar da wasu masana ke yi wa East na cewa ya taimaka wajen durƙushewar rubutun ajami, lokacin da ya cusa wa Hausawa aƙidar yin rubutu da haruffan boko. An ma ce Imam da kan sa ya yi nadamar daɗewa a fagen rubutun ƙirƙira, wai ya gano cewa East ya yi amfani da shi ne kawai don cimma wata manufa ta Turawan mulkin mallaka, wai shi ya sa ma a ƙarshe ya koma rubutun addini. Shin yaya abin yake?

A bangon littafin, an rubuta cewa wannan littafi juzu'i na ɗaya ne. Shin ina na biyun? Ko shi ne  wanda aka ce an adana a wani gidan yana a intanet? Shi na intanet ɗin, da wannan na hannu ɗin, da ma fassararren tarihin na Ingilishi wanda kamfanin Lambert Academic Publishing da ke Jamus ya buga, babu su a hannun jama'a. Ina kira ga Dakta Aliyah da ta gaggauta samar da dukkan su a shagunan sayar da littattafai domin mutane su samu su karanta. Ta haka ne al’umma za ta ci moriyar wannan muhimmin aiki wanda ya zama zakaran gwajin dafi ga sauran masu bincike ko manazarta.

Never too late to learn: A thought on Theo and Hameed's feat

I wish to congratulate two of my colleagues in journalism and members of our WhatsApp news-group on their unique feat of bagging doctorate degrees yesterday, i.e. Theophilus Abbah and Hameed Bello. I have worked with Abbah years ago when I was Editor of Leadership daily and he came in as Editor of Leadership Sunday. Hameed is a friend whose path and mine crossed many times in the course of our work.

Both guys have obtained these third degrees from the University of Abuja, Abuja.

Abbah wrote on Facebook yesterday: "Today,  I translated from being Mr Abbah to Dr Theophilus Abbah. Ten professors in the Department of English of the University of Abuja and an external examiner, a professor from Benue State University, certified that my PhD thesis is scholarly and that I have orally defended it  for the award of the highest academic degree. For me,  it's a journey  through hell but I give glory to God." And Bello wrote today: "Good news. Special greetings to all. This is to inform you that after a tough but successful final  defence yesterday, the University of Abuja has recommended Senate to award me a PhD in Critical Discourse Analysis of Media Language and Ideology. Alhamdulilah."

Joyous news indeed. I am happy for them. I had known from both, a few years ago, that they had begun their courses of study. I knew it was an uphill task. How time flies!

Now their enviable achievement has got me thinking. Abbah was until recently the Managing Editor of Daily Trust and is now the CEO of theinsight.com.ng, his online investigative newspaper. Hameed is the Editor/CEO of the Peoples Daily. This shows that they are extremely busy people but that did not stop them from pursuing the golden fleece to the highest level. This is a clear challenge to those of us who think we are too busy or too contented with our level to go back to school.

Of note, also, is the fact that both gentlemen pursued their PhD courses at a conventional institution of learning rather than a distance learning university such as NOUN (the only one of its kind in Nigeria). Which made their educational pursuit all the more challenging. It reflects the need for us to also go back to school as soon as possible. If one can't go to a conventional university, there is an easy choice in the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) which affords one the opportunity to gain a higher degree in spite of a busy schedule.

So, I advise my friends to dust off those BAs, MAs, BScs, MScs, etc., and seek a higher level of education. One is never too old to study some more. Only this year, the octogenarian Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President, bagged a PhD in Christian Theology from NOUN. And I know there are many old men and women studying at NOUN and other places.

It is not about using the higher degrees to look for work. It is both about seeking deeper knowledge and attaining further accomplishments in life. A good example is Obasanjo who is no longer looking for anything in life except the good life and his notorious sport - politics!

And don't say you have no time or money! It has nothing to do with that. The time you spend on some otherwise frivolous engagements - such as on the social media, gossiping, clubbing or even in bed - could be put to better use. No time? Create it.

Also, nothing comes easy. Make the necessary sacrifice. Remember what Theo says in the above quotation: "For me, it's a journey through hell." Nothing good comes easy, so says the old cliché.

Today I recall, with pain, my own attempt to pursue a PhD study. It was in 1997 when I was working at the New Nigerian Newspapers in Kaduna. I travelled to Zaria and bought the postgraduate study application form at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). Back home, I filled it, got referrals and attached all the relevant documents. Having obtained M.A. in Journalism Studies from Cardiff University three years earlier, my desire for higher education was still hot. But returning my application form to Zaria proved difficult. I had no time, or so I thought. It was about 15 years later that I saw my ABU application form tucked away among some papers. Had I pursued an academic life, I could have become a professor by then as, indeed, some of my mates did. I felt sad.

There was even a time I thought I had no need for any additional degree because I wrongly regarded it as "qualification". What did I need it for? I had almost reached the zenith of my career in the media, I thought. A higher degree - for what?

My perception has since changed. It may have to do with my present station, working in a university.

However, I am even busier today than when I bought the ABU form. But wiser. Wise enough to know that the only time one doesn't have, really, is all the time in the world. That is to say life is short. So, the best time one has is today, today.