Overview
- Lesson Title: Slaves to Petroleum
- This editorial expresses the author's impression about the use of petroleum to exploit the Nigerian citizens.
- Language: Hausa
- Topic: Economics/Politics
- ILR Level: 2+/3
- ACTFL Proficiency: Superior, Advanced-High
- This ACTFL rating is an approximation based on the ILR level
- Modality: Reading
- Learning Objective: Maintenance & Improvement
- Subject Area: Language
- Material Type: LO
- Publication Year: 2007
- ObjectID: HAUS_12028
Transcript
| Original | Translation |
|---|---|
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Slaves to Petroleum ‘Yan Nijeriya Bayin Fetur(3) Bahaushe dai ya na cewa “wuya bata kisa”, E! haka ne to amma a game da halinmu na Nijeriya sai mu ce “Ba haka aka so ba, ƙanin miji ya fi miji kyau” domin ina amfanin baɗi ba rai? Ma’ana ina amfanin wahala babu dalili? Yau da a ce bamu da mai a ƙasar nan, don mun sha wuya a kan mai babu laifi, kuma wani abin tambaya ba ne. Amma abin takaici, ga man muna shi, sai wahala iri-iri muke sha a saboda shi. Abin ma har ya wuce karin maganar nan mai cewa “Rashin sani, kaza ta kwana a kan dami” , sai dai a kamanta shi da ɗaya karin maganar mai cewa “Abin haushi, nama yana jan kare”. Shi kuwa kare har yaushe ya lalace haka har nama(abincinsa) yake jan sa, a maimakon shi karen ya ja nama? Lallai akwai ayar tambaya a nan. Akwai dalilai da dama da suka kai mu ga haka. Na farko dai kamar yadda na taba faɗa maku, wata sabuwar hanyar bauta ce ta ruwan sanyi kuma ta bayan gida aka ɗora a kan ‘yan Nijeriya, ba tare da an gansu suna aikin bauta na zahiri ga wani ko waɗansu gungun mutane ba. Ga misali, yanzu man nan ya zama shi ne ruhin rayuwar mutanen Nijeriya, ko sun ƙi ko sun so, domin kusan kaso Saba’in ko Tamanin bisa ɗari na kuɗaɗen shigar Nijeriya, yanzu ya dogara ne a kan man fetur. A saboda wannan dalilin, shi ma ko wane ɗan Nijeriya, ko ma’aikaci ne ko ɗan kasuwa ne,galibin kuɗin shigarsa na kowace shekara da kowane wata ko mako, ya dogara ne da mai,kusan kaso Saba’in ko Tamanin daga ciki. Misali dai shi ne, Gwamnatin tarayya ba za ta yi kasafin Kuɗi na Shekara Shekara ba, sai ta ƙiyasta cinikin da za ta samu na mai a wannan shekarar. Sannan ba za ta baiwa jihohi kuɗin wata-wata ba, sai ta sayar da mai, kuma za ta ba su ne, gwargwadon ribar da ta samu daga cinikin na mai. Haka nan ma’aikatan gwamnati ba za su samu kuɗi ba sai an yi cinikin mai an rarrabawa kowane sashe na gwamnati tukuna. Shi kuma ɗan kasuwa ba zai yi ciniki yadda ya kamata ba, sai an biya ma’aikaci albashi ya je kasuwa ya yi sayayya tukuna. Ɗan kwangila da lebura ba za su sami kuɗi ba sai gwamnatocin tarayya da na jihohi da na ƙananan hukumomi sun samu kuɗi daga cinikin mai na ƙasa,tukuna za a yi gine-gine da aikace-aikace, har lebura da ɗan kwangila su samu kuɗi. Don hankalin kowa da rayuwarsa sun koma kan man nan. Ba za a yi aure a yi biki ba, sai an samu kuɗin mai. Ba za a biya kuɗin makarantar yara ba, sai an sayar da mai. Ba za a gina asibiti da Masallaci ba sai an samu kuɗin mai. Ba za a hau abin hawa a kai ziyara ta zumunci ba, sai mai ya samu. Manomi mai noman rani, a zamanin yau ba zai yi ban ruwa na lambu ko gonarsa ba, sai da man da zai saka a cikin injin ban-ruwa. Babu wutar lantarki idan babu man gas na tashar bada wuta, ko fetur da za ka saka a janaretonka ka tashe shi ya ba ka wuta. Babu niƙan dawa ko masarar yin tuwo ko markaɗen kayan miya idan babu mai. Saboda haka ashe ma idan mutum yau a Nijeriya ya ce babu ruwansa da tsadar man fetur ko na gas ko na kananzir don kuwa shi ba shi da mota ko babur sai keke, to lallai yaudarar kansa ya ke yi. Domin daga waɗannan ‘yan misalai da na baku, kusan ko jaririn da aka Haifa yau ko dabbobi da shukokin da suke cikin Nijeriya, mai yana tafiyar da rayuwar su. To ashe kuwa duk sanda aka ƙara kwabo ɗaya a kan lita ɗaya ta mai, sai kowane ɗan Nijeriya ya biya wannan ƙarin ko dai da kuɗin aljihunsa ko da gumin jikinsa ko kuma ma da hawayen idonsa. Ashe kuwa ka ga bauta ta tabbata a nan ga man fetur, amma kuma ga waɗansu ake ta yin wannan bautar a fakaice, domin sune suke cinye amfani ko ribar a fakaice. Yanzu har ya zama al’ada zaunanniya cewar duk sanda aka zo ƙarshen shekarar Miladiyya zuwa farkon sabuwar shekarar, kowa baya fid da ran gwamnati za ta sanar da ƙarin kuɗin mai. Wannan har ya kan bada dama ga dillalan mai su ƙirƙiro da ƙarancinsa da gangan, ta yadda su da kansu su ke fara ƙara farashin man a kan kowace lita, tun kafin hukuma ta sanar da nata ƙarin. Ita kuma hukumar sai ta zura masu ido tana kallonsu, ko ta yi wani ɗan hargagi na barazana cewar su daina sayar da man fiye da farashin da aka sani, amma kuma ba za ka ga an kama wani an hukunta shi ba. Dalili a nan shi ne kusan doka ba ta aikinta, ko kuma idan tana yi ma, ba sosai ba. Bayan haka kuma,a nan su dillalan man suna share hanya ne na ƙarin farashin da hukuma za ta yi, don haka ƙarin da suke yi kafin na hukuma kamar gwaji ne ake yi na amincewa ko rashin amincewar mutane. Amma kamar yadda ka san tawakkalin ɗan Nijeriya, ga shi dai kullum shi ne a wayace,amma sai kawai ya yi tsaki ya ce “Mts,Ubangiji dai Ya ba mu kuɗin saye”, wato kamai tsadarsa. A irin wannan albishir ɗin da a kan yiwa talakawan Nijeriya duk sabuwar shekara, Ministan Makamashi, Cif Edmund Dakouru ya ce za su ƙara kuɗin mai, wai haka ne kawai zai sa man ya wadata, a fita daga ƙarancins da ake fuskanta a yanzu. To amma fa idan kun tuna, tun ba yau ba ake faɗa mana cewar sai gwamnati ta janye tallafinta a kan farashin mai kuma ya yi tsada ne, zai wadata. To amma har yanzu man ya wadata? Ko da yake ma wata babbar magana da bincike ya nuna, a haƙiƙanin gaskiya ma babu wani tallafi da gwamnati take yi a farashin man fetur, tun ran da aka fara haƙo shi a Nijeriya. Sai ma riba da take samu daga gumin talakawan Nijeriya. Zan feɗe muku Biri har Bindinsa a kan wannan magana ta “Tallafin Mai”. Wai su Tallafi Manya! |
Slaves to Petroleum Nigerians, Slaves to Petroleum (3) There’s a Hausa saying that goes, “Trouble does not kill.” Well! That may be, but regarding our situation in Nigeria, we might say, “This is not what we want, for a man’s younger brother to outdo him,” because what’s the benefit of next year without hope? Meaning, what’s the use of trouble if there’s no reason? Today, when it’s said that we have no oil in this country, that we suffer such problems due to oil, and it’s no one’s fault, that should be the question. But the frustrating thing is, we do have oil, though we have all sorts of trouble because of it. There’s another proverb that says, “Ignorance is the hen going to sleep (hungry) on top of the bundle of corn,” and one should compare it to the proverb that says, “It’s a vexing thing, to see the meat pulling at the dog.” Since when has the dog gone awry like this, such that the meat (its food) is pulling at it, instead of the dog pulling at the meat? Certainly there must be a question mark here. There are plenty of reasons that have brought us to this. The first being as I have just told you, there is a new method of slavery, like a cold shower, that is being put onto Nigerians, without being seen to do the work of real slavery towards one or another group of people. Here’s an example: now this oil is becoming the life spirit of the Nigerian people, whether they like it or not, because nearly seventy or eighty percent of the money entering Nigeria, is now dependent on oil. Because of this, for every Nigerian, whether worker or shopkeeper, most of his income for each year, each month and each week is dependent on oil, nearly seventy or eighty percent of it. Another example is this: the federal government will not make an annual budget; it just assesses the business that it can get for oil in that year. And it will not provide the states with monthly allocations, unless it sells oil, then it will give it to them, in proportion to the profit that it gets from the oil trade. In this way, government workers don’t get paid unless there is oil trading and only after every government department gets its share. The shopkeeper cannot do business as he needs to, unless the worker is paid his salary so he can to go to the market and shop. The labor contractor can’t get money until national and state governments and the local authorities get money from the national oil trade beforehand for building and other activities, only then do the laborer and contractor get money. Slowly everyone’s life revolves around this oil. One can’t get married or have a celebration, except by getting oil money. One can’t pay school fees for the children, unless oil is sold. One can’t build a hospital or a mosque, unless one has oil money. One can’t take a trip to go visit relatives, unless he has oil. The dry-season farmer, these days can’t irrigate fields or his farm, unless there’s gas that he can put in his irrigation equipment. There’s no electricity without gas for the substations, or petrol that you can put in your generator to start it up and give you electricity. No grinding of guinea-corn or maize to make tuwo or mashing of ingredients for the sauce if there is no oil. Indeed, on this account, if a person today in Nigeria says he’s not interested in the expense of the petrol or gas or kerosene because he doesn’t have a car or a scooter, only a bicycle, then he’s just fooling himself. From these small examples that I’ve given you, oil governs the lives of nearly every infant who is born today, and of all the animals or crops raised in Nigeria. And indeed, whenever one liter of petrol raises a single kobo, then every Nigerian pays that increase, either from his pocket or from his sweat and tears. So, you see that slavery is surely here on account of petrol, but also due to those things that one is doing behind the scenes, because they are benefiting or making a profit behind the scenes. Now it’s becoming the settled custom that whenever we come to the end of the year, towards the beginning of the new year, everyone anticipates the government will announce the increase in the price of oil. This then provides an opportunity for the oil brokers to create a deliberate insufficiency, and then they themselves begin to increase the price for a liter of oil, even before the authority announces its increase. This authority then eagerly calls them to task, or makes a little threatening uproar that they stop selling oil above the known price, but then you won’t see anyone getting caught and charged. It is probably for this reason that the law doesn’t work, or if it does, not very much. And beyond this, there are these oil brokers who prepare for the price increase that the authorities will make, such that the increase they make before the authority does is like a test for the approval or disapproval of the people. But as you know the fatalism of the Nigerian, he who is always in difficulty, he just tuts and says, “Alas, may the Lord give us money to spend,” whatever its costliness. To this kind of news that is given to the common people of Nigeria every new year, the Oil Minister, Chief Edmund Dakouru, says that they will increase the cost of oil, and that only in this way will he get oil to be sufficient, to emerge from the scarcity that we are facing now. But if you remember, even today, one is saying to us that the government only withdrew its support on the price of oil because it was too expensive, and that it will be sufficient. But until now has oil been sufficient? As a major investigation has shown, surely there is no evidence that the government has been giving support to the price of petrol, ever since the day that it was first extracted in Nigeria. It’s just reaping profit from the sweat of the common people of Nigeria. I will reveal the complete details [skin a monkey down to its tail] for you on this talk of “Supporting Oil”. That is, they support those in power! … (I WILL CONTINUE, GOD WILLING). |
Glossary
| Hausa | Hausa Meaning | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| wuya bata kisa | Hard work does not kill (Literarily means suffering does not kill). | wahala ko aiki ba ya kashe mutum. |
| ƙanin miji ya fi miji kyau | This is a Hausa saying that means what is desired or preferred was not achieved. (literarily means a/my husband's younger brother is more handsome than a/my husband). | Abin da aka fi so bai samu ba sai wanin sa ya samu. |
| Rashin sani, kaza ta kwana a kan dami | This means living in ignorance (literarily means a chicken unknowingly slept on a bundle of grains that could be used as food). | Halin rashin sani.Watau dame na kunshe da abincin kaza amma ta kwana bisa damen ba tare da ta sani ba. |
| Abin haushi, nama yana jan kare | A Hausa proverb meaning the reverse of what is expected (meat or beef is dragging a dog instead). | Abun da ake tsammani bashi ya faru ba, sai akasin sa ya faru. |
| kusan kaso Saba’in ko Tamanin bisa ɗari | This is the Hausa way of describing a percentage to mean 70-80% (70 to 80 on a scale of hundred). | Idan an kasa abu bisa ɗari. |
| a zamanin yau | Nowadays or these days. | A lokacin da muke ciki. |
| miladiyya | Following a Western or English calendar(sometimes referred to as the Christian calendar because of the B.C and A.D) in place of the Islamic calendar. | Ƙilgon lokaci na turanci. |
| fid da ran | To give up or not expect. | An bar tsamani. |
| zura masu ido | To ignore or overlook (literarily means to stare at someone without commenting). | Sa musu ido. |
| Zan feɗe muku Biri har Bindinsa | To give full detail or to expose or reveal.(This is a Hausa saying that literarily means to skin a monkey from head to toe) | Zan ba ku bayyani dalla-dalla |
| Wai su Tallafi Manya | This is a sarcastic way of describing a support for the influencial/the big men or a sarcastic way of praising their work/supposed intentions. | Wata hanya ce ta yi ma kalma ko aikin mutane kirari da habaici. |
Note
| Hausa Note | English Note |
|---|---|
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‘Yan Ingila ne asalin ganowa da mai cikin wani gari a Nijeriya mai suna Niger Delta, mai kuma yawan jama’a. Ana ma garin laƙabin "kogin mai" saboda ya yi zama mai albarka man ja. An kuma bayyana irin man Nijeriya ƙalƙashin man da ake kira masu zaƙi saboda rashin kaule cikin shi kuma Nijeriya ta fi sauran ƙasashen ƙungiyar su (mai suna ƙungiyar ƙasashe Masu Arzikin) man fetur. Wannan ya sa Nijeriya ta zama ta goma cikin ƙasashen duniya masu mai kuma ƙasa da ta fi sauran ƙasashen Afrika wadata nesa ba kusa ba. Tun da aka gano man cikin shekara 1950, siyasa da rigimomin tattalin arzikin ƙasa sun kawo taɓarɓarewar masana’antun man ta wajen sa hannun mulkin soja da aka sani da ayyukan rashawa da kuma haɗin kan kanfanoni kamar su Royal Dutch Shell. Matsalolin harakokin man basu samu goyon bayan gyara ba daga ƙasashen duniya sai bayan kisan wani marubuci mai suna Ken Saro-wiwa da gwamnatin Nijeriya ta aikata. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_in_Nigeria http://www.answers.com/topic/petroleum-in-nigeria |
Oil was discovered by the British in a densely populated region of Nigeria called the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta is sometimes called the oil rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil. Much of the Nigeria’s petroleum is classified as “light” or “sweet” to mean the oil is largely free of sulphur and it is known as the largest producer of sweet oil in OPEC (The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries). Its reserves make Nigeria the 10th most petroleum-rich nation and by far the most affluent in Africa. Since its discovery in the 1950s the oil industry has been marred by political and economic strife, mostly as a result of the long corrupt military regimes and complicity of multinational corporations notably the Royal Dutch Shell. The situation was only given international attention in the early 1990s, following the murder of a Nigerian playwright and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa by the Nigerian State. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_in_Nigeria http://www.answers.com/topic/petroleum-in-nigeria |
<activity>
<problemset>
<problem correctindex="2">
<choices>
<opt>
<eng-response>This editorial discusses the importance of petroleum to every living thing in Nigeria including plants, and the role played by the government and the oil dealers in enslaving the poor Nigerians. This only occurs at the end of every year through gas price increase and sometimes it is mainly a trial by the dealers to see the consumers’ reaction. They increase the gas prices by intentionally inventing its scarcity or inefficiency in the country. The Government then portrays its disapproval to the public but does nothing to stop the dealers. In the end the Nigerian population always settles for the price with a prayer that God provides them with the money to buy gas.</eng-response>
<response>Wannan rubutu na bayani na bisan muhinmancin man fetur ga ruyuwar kowace hallita cikin Nijeriya had ma da itace, da kuma rawar da gwamnati da dillalan mai suka taka wajen sa ‘yan Nijeriya cikin wani halin bauta.. Wanna halin bauta na faruwa ne a ƙarshen kowace shekara ta wajen ƙara kuɗin mai da suke kuma wani lokaci dillalan kan ƙara kuɗin man ne don gwaji su ga abin da masu anfani da man za su yi. Da gangan sai su ƙara kuɗin man da hujja cewa man ya yi kaɗan cikin ƙasa. Gwamnati sai ta yi kamar bata goyin bayansu ba amma kuma baza ta huƙunta su ba. A ƙarshe ‘ya Nijeriya sai dai su yi roƙon Allah ya ba su kuɗin sayen man.</response>
<eng-fdbk>Incorrect. Is the end of the year the only time when gas price goes up in Nigeria? What is the author’s comment about the procedure in price increase?</eng-fdbk>
<fdbk>Wannan ba daidai ba ne! Ƙarshen shekara kaɗai ne Nijeriya ke samun ƙarin kuɗin mai? Wanne irin bayyani marubucin ya bada game da hanyoyin ƙarin kuɗn man?</fdbk>
</opt>
<opt>
<eng-response>In this editorial, Isa Muhammad Inuwa Kano is angry with the Nigerian system because the country has petroleum but the citizens are suffering due to the bad economy that could be better if well managed. According to his statements, the Nigerian population is suffering because the people are indirectly enslaved without them understanding what is going on. When ever the price goes up, everyone is automatically affected because every Nigerian pays for it either with cash, sweat, or tears, and the influential people always enjoy the profits made. He concludes that Nigerians are frustrated at the abundance of petroleum and their inability to benefit from it.</eng-response>
<response>Cikin wannan rubutu, Isa Muhammad Inuwa Kano ya bayyana fushin sa game da gwamnatin Nigeriya saboda duk da wadatar man da ƙasar keda shi, ‘yan ƙasa na shan wahala dalilin rashin tsarin tattalin arzikin ƙasa yadda ya kamata. Ya ci gaba da bayanin cewa jama’ar Nijeriya na shan wahala saboda an sa su cikin wata hanyar bauta ba cikin sun gane abun da ke faruwa ba. A kowane lokaci, ƙarin kuɗin man na shafar kowa saboba sai kowa ya biya ta hanya dabam-dabam ko dai da kuɗi, ko da tsufan jiki ko ta hawaye . kuma masu faɗi a ji kaɗai ke cin ribar ƙarin.Ya kamala da cewa ‘yan Nijeriya na da takaici saboda akwai mai cikin ƙasa amma ba su cin ribarshi.</response>
<eng-fdbk>This is wrong because the author did not tell us about the class of those who benefit from the gas price increase. Read the text and pay attention to his classification of the Nigerians who play roles in the process of increasing gas prices.</eng-fdbk>
<fdbk>Wannan ba daidai ba ne saboda marubucin bai faɗa mana matsayin masu cin ribar ƙarin kuɗin man ba. Ƙara karanta bayyanin shi na ire-iren ‘yan Nijeriya da keda hannu cikin harakokin ƙarin kuɗin man.</fdbk>
</opt>
<opt>
<eng-response>The author of this editorial expresses his anger about the use of petroleum to enslave Nigerians. Even though about 70% or 80% of Nigeria’s revenue depends on exporting petroleum, yet the public continues to suffer and they pay for every price increase and this is usually an intentional act from the dealers. Isa Muhammad blames the government for negligence in convicting the dealers. Before the government officially announces the price increase, the dealers purposefully increased petroleum prices to observe the consumers’ reaction. The Nigerian Minister of Petroleum justifies that the increase is done because it is the only way to get gas sufficiently but the author reminds the people that it was not their first time of hearing that statement.</eng-response>
<response>Marubucin yayi nuni ga yadda aka sa 'Yan Nijeriya cikin wani halin bauta. ‘Yan ƙasa na ci gaba da shan wahala da biyan kowane ƙarin kuɗin mai duk da kaso saba’in ko tamanin bisa ɗari na kuɗaɗen shigar Nijeriya ya dogara ga man fetur . Isa Muhammad yaba gwamnati laifin rashin kula da huƙunta dillalan man. Kafin gwamnati ta faɗa ma jama'a akan ƙarin. Marubucin wannan jarida ya nuna fushinsa saboda amfani da man fetur da ake yi don sa ma ‘yan Nijeriya ƙarin kuɗin man, dillalan su kan ƙara kuɗin man da gangan don su ga abun da jama’a za su yi. Ministan Makamashi ya bada hujjar cewa ana ƙara kuɗin man ne don ta haka ne kawai zai wadata amma marubucin ya tuna ma jama’a da cewa ba sau ɗaya ba suka taɓa jin irin wannan Magana.</response>
<eng-fdbk>Correct! The summary entails the tone of the author in expressing his opinion on the circumstances that led Nigerians into being slaves to petroleum.</eng-fdbk>
<fdbk>Daidai! Taƙaitawa ta ƙunshi irin halin da marubucin yake cikin wajen bayyana ra’ayin shi bisa hallayen da suka kai ‘yan Nijeriya cikin halin bauta ga man fetur.</fdbk>
</opt>
</choices>
</problem>
</problemset>
<instr type="eng">INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose the best summary.</instr>
<instr type="target">Umurni:Zaɓi taƙaitawa mafi dacewa.</instr>
<finish>How do you think the Nigerian government can make better use of the country's petroleum in order to ensure the satisfaction of the citizens?</finish>
<finishtl>A ganin ku wace irin dubara gwamnatin Nijeriya ke iya amfani da ita wajan anfani da man fetur don ƙaruwar ƴan ƙasa?</finishtl>
<finish>What level of government controls the natural resources like petroleum in Nigeria?</finish>
<finishtl>Wane ɓangaren gwamnati ke kula da tattalin arzikin Nigeria kamar man fetur?</finishtl>
<finish>What do you think is the yearly rate of increase in gas prices in Nigeria? Why?</finish>
<finishtl>Nawa ne kuke ganin ake ƙara ma kuɗin man Nijeriya a kowace shekara? Kuma don me?</finishtl>
</activity>