UMD NFLC Hausa Lessons/140 Nigerian Political Convention

Overview

1. Title: Nigerian Political Convention
2. Description: This is from an interview that aired in September 2013 on a Nigerian radio program and features a discussion about a proposed political convention. WinXP users should install Arial Unicode font.
3. Speakers: Ado Saleh Kankia and Tijjani Ado Ahmed
4. Program: Good Morning
5. Publisher: Freedom Radio Nigeria
6. Publication Date: 2014-09-07
7. Source Text Type: Radio
8. URL: Not available
9. Language: Hausa
10. Level: 2+/3
11. Topic: Economics/Politics
12. Cultural Notes: Yes
13. Modality: Listening
14. Core Competency: Comprehension
15. Estimated Duration: 45 minutes
16. Preparatory Activity: Constructed Response
17. Based on your own knowledge, what is the purpose of organizing national conferences in Nigeria?
18. Model Response: The purpose of national conferences in Nigeria is to address pressing issues that affect the country. Some of these issues include tribalism, persistent religious conflicts between Christians and Muslims, persistent regional conflicts between the North and the South, the insurgency in the North, corruption, elections, and power sharing.

Transcript

Source Text	Translation
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Irin yadda ake bijiro da wannan	ADO SALEH KANKIA: The way they keep organizing this
tarurruka	convention
lokacin da aka ga kamar	is to do so whenever they are
kura tana ƙoƙarin ta kai bango. [1]	up against a wall.
Muna zaune,	We are calm,
ana ta magana:	but they keep saying,
a yi, a yi, a yi,	“Let’s do it, let’s do it,”
an ki yi.	but then they refuse.
Haka Obasanjo ya yi taron a dubu biyu da biyar kamar yadda su wa’yancan masu faɗi cewa: wai, ai, an taɓa yi, amma, ba zai yi ba.	This is also how Obasanjo [[[former]] army general and president Olusegun Obasanjo— Trans .] held the national congress in 2005. And there are those who say that, well it has been done before.
To an yi shi dubu biyu da biyar. Kuma, da aka yi, ba abinda aka ga.	Well, it was held in 2005, and after it was held we saw nothing from it.
Yanzu kuma ga wani.	And now, another one is going to be held.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Ga, ko shi ma, kwamitin, Ahmed Lemu.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: There is also the Ahmed Lemu committee.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: To, wannan ma, daga nan jimawan zanga zanga ce ta kone kone.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: Well, that one was about the conflict that involved burning here and there;
Har yanzun ma, an bi gefe guda, sai a ce ba a ba mutane da abun ya shafa kudi ba,	and now they have decided to compensate those who were affected,
amma dai na ji ana ta koke koke,	but I heard that despite that some are still complaining
kamar ba’a yi masu dai-dai ba da sauransu.	because they think they were not compensated in the same way others were.
Amma dai wannan ai magana ce ake ta ƙasa,	But this is a national issue,
kuma ba’a yin ta	and nobody will talk about it
sai	until
lokacin da aka ga zaɓe ya zo.	election time.
Duk abinda ya kawo wannan	Whatever brought about this
rigimar,	conflict
ai maganar zabe ce.	is related to the elections.
Zaben 2015, duk shi ake wannan rikici.	The 2015 election is what is inciting this.
Ga Jonathan jiya…	You see, yesterday Jonathan [[[Nigerian]] President Goodluck Johnathan— Trans .]
ya kaddamar da wannan Komiti.	created this committee,
Kuma,	and
yana ba da bayanin	he was explaining
abinda	what
ya sanya	made him
wai ya canza ra’ayinsa.	change his mind.
Sai ka ga, ba wai na	It is not that I
karanta	read it
a jerida ba,	in the papers;
amma dai na gani,	but I actually saw it.
amma yau dai	But today,
ban	I didn’t
Saurari	listen
labarai ba	to the news,
da suke nuni ga ma abinda aka yi gaba ɗaya.	which talked a lot about everything they did.
To, kawai dai kamar yadda mutane suke	And just as people are
faɗi,	saying,
ni na fi bin ra’ayinsu.	and I agree with them,
Ba magana ba ce na a canza wannan, a canza wannan.	it is not a matter of changing this or that.
Abunda muka rasa	What we are lacking
a ƙasan nan,	in this country
shugabanci na gari.	is good leadership.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Haka!	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: That is it!
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Haka, Kawai.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: That’s it exactly.
Kuma, daga inda ba shugabanci	And where there is no leadership,
ko cikin gida ne,	if for example in the home,
gida ya lalace,	then the home is ruined,
banlantana kana maganar ƙasa,	consider that we’re talking about a country,
babbar ƙasa,	a great country
wadda	that is
ta fi	larger than
kowace ƙasa	all the other countries
yawan al’umma	in population
a nahiyar Afrika	on the African continent
irin Nijeriya.	like Nigeria.
Saboda haka, ba magana ba ce ta wai maganar ai wai a’a tsarin kaza bai yi daidai ba.	Nigeria is not a country where this or that system is problematic.
A’a	No.
tsari kaza,	Such and such system
dai-dai yake.	is well structured.
Amma dai mutanen da ke cikin ƙasa	It is the citizens of the country
su ne suke tafiya a ƙarƙace.	who are dishonest.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Gaskiya ne.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: That is true.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: To kuma ba za mu gyara ba,	ADO SALEH KANKIA: And we will not make it right,
har har sai mun….	until we . . .
Allah ba zai gyara ba.	God will not make it right.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Sai mun gyara.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Until we fix it.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Yawwa	ADO SALEH KANKIA: OK good,
tunda ka faɗi wannan magana.	glad you have brought this up.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Mh. Akwai masu tambayoyi masu cewa to,	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: And there are those who are asking questions.
ina majalisar wakilai	Where are the members of the House of Representatives
da	and
dattawa	the elders
da muke da su?	that we have?
Mene ne amfanin su?	What is their usefulness?
In wani abu kamar ya…	If something like . . .
ADO SALEH KANKIA: To, to,	ADO SALEH KANKIA: Well, well,
duk wannan magana,	all these talks,
in ka yi wannan	if you say so,
ka koma maganar	then you have gone back to the issue of
tsarin mulki.	the constitution.
To ai yanzu	OK, now,
ba ka ga shi da ya tashi sai ya ce,	can’t you see how he responded?
sai ya ce	And said that
nashi	his own
taron,	convention,
wannan kwamiti da	this committee that
ya kafa.	he established,
Bayan sun fito da ajandar taro	after they came up with the convention’s agenda,
kuma sai ya ce to,	and he said
bayan an tattauna,	after they have discussed it,
kuma su duba yiyuwar hanyar da za ta zama doka, a sa waɗannan abubuwan da za’a tattauna a cikin tsarin mulki.	that they should look for possible ways to legally get the issues that will be discussed into the constitution.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Tsarin mulki.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Constitution.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: To, ka ji an koma ga majalisar ke nan.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: So you see, they would still go back to the parliament.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Yauwa, to, in an koma majalisa kuma majalisa, in ba ta so, tana iya kashe taron.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: And if they [[[the]] issues— Trans .] get to the parliament, and the parliament, if they don’t want them, they can kill the convention.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Haka yake.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: True. That is true.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Sai ta zauna ta yi shuru.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: And they will be silent about it.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Haka yake.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: That is true.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Sai bayan an gama,	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: And when everything is done and over,
ya zo yana cewa	then he will come out saying
a duba a ga.	we should see what’s happening.
Bai da wata kafa	He doesn’t have any power
da ta wuce miƙa wa majalisa. To majalisa, tana nan zaune, in ta ga dama. Sai a yi tazarcen Obasanjo.	other than to hand it over to the parliament. Well, the parliament will just sit on it, and if it wants, it will approve Obasanjo’s type of term extension.

Transcript 2

Source Text	Translation
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Irin yadda ake bijiro da wannan tarurruka lokacin da aka ga kamar kura tana ƙoƙarin ta kai bango.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: The way they keep organizing this convention is to do so whenever they are up against a wall.
Muna zaune, ana ta magana: a yi, a yi, a yi, an ki yi. Haka Obasanjo ya yi taron a dubu biyu da biyar kamar yadda su wa’yancan masu faɗi cewa: wai, ai, an taɓa yi, amma, ba zai yi ba. To an yi shi dubu biyu da biyar. Kuma, da aka yi, ba abinda aka ga. Yanzu kuma ga wani.	We are calm, but they keep saying, “Let’s do it, let’s do it,” but then they refuse. This is also how Obasanjo [[[former]] army general and president Olusegun Obasanjo— Trans .] held the national congress in 2005. And there are those who say that, well it has been done before. Well, it was held in 2005, and after it was held we saw nothing from it. And now, another one is going to be held.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Ga, ko shi ma, kwamitin, Ahmed Lemu.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: There is also the Ahmed Lemu committee.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: To, wannan ma, daga nan jimawan zanga zanga ce ta kone kone. Har yanzun ma, an bi gefe guda, sai a ce ba a ba mutane da abun ya shafa kudi ba, amma dai na ji ana ta koke koke, kamar ba’a yi masu dai-dai ba da sauransu. Amma dai wannan ai magana ce ake ta ƙasa, kuma ba’a yin ta sai lokacin da aka ga zaɓe ya zo. Duk abinda ya kawo wannan rigimar, ai maganar zabe ce. Zaben 2015, duk shi ake wannan rikici. Ga Jonathan jiya…ya kaddamar da wannan Komiti. Kuma, yana ba da bayanin abinda ya sanya wai ya canza ra’ayinsa. Sai ka ga, ba wai na karanta a jerida ba, amma dai na gani, amma yau dai ban saurari labarai ba da suke nuni ga ma abinda aka yi gaba ɗaya. To, kawai dai kamar yadda mutane suke faɗi, ni na fi bin ra’ayinsu. Ba magana ba ce na a canza wannan, a canza wannan. Abunda muka rasa a ƙasan nan, shugabanci na gari.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: Well, that one was about the conflict that involved burning here and there; and now they have decided to compensate those who were affected, but I heard that despite that some are still complaining because they think they were not compensated in the same way others were. But this is a national issue, and nobody will talk about it until election time. Whatever brought about this conflict is related to the elections. The 2015 election is what is inciting this. You see, yesterday Jonathan [[[Nigerian]] President Goodluck Johnathan— Trans .] created this committee, and he was explaining what made him change his mind. It is not that I read it in the papers; but I actually saw it. But yesterday, I didn’t listen to the news, which talked a lot about everything they did. And just as people are saying, and I agree with them, it is not a matter of changing this or that. What we are lacking in this country is good leadership.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Haka!	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: That is it!
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Haka, Kawai. Kuma, daga inda ba shugabanci ko cikin gida ne, gida ya lalace, banlantana kana maganar ƙasa, babbar ƙasa, wadda ta fi kowace ƙasa a nahiyar Afrika yawan al’umma irin Nijeriya. Saboda haka, ba magana ba ce ta wai maganar ai. wai a’a tsarin kaza bai yi daidai ba. A’a tsari kaza, dai-dai yake. Amma dai mutanen da ke cikin ƙasa su ne suke tafiya a ƙarƙace.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: That’s it exactly. And where there is no leadership, if for example in the home, then the home is ruined, consider that we’re talking about a country, a great country that is larger in population than all the other countries on the African continent. Nigeria is not a country where this or that system is problematic. No. Such and such system is well structured. It is the citizens of the country who are dishonest.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Gaskiya ne.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: That is true.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: To kuma ba za mu gyara ba, har har sai mun…. Allah ba zai gyara ba.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: And we will not make it right, until we . . . God will not make it right.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Sai mun gyara.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Until we fix it.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Yawwa tunda ka faɗi wannan magana.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: OK, you made this statement.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Mh. Akwai masu tambayoyi masu cewa to, ina majalisar wakilai da dattawa da muke da su? Mene ne amfanin su? In wani abu kamar ya…	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: And there are those who are asking questions. Where are the members of the House of Representatives and the elders that we have? What is their usefulness? If something like . . .
ADO SALEH KANKIA: To, to, duk wannan magana, in ka yi wannan ka koma maganar tsarin mulki. To ai yanzu ba ka ga shi, da ya tashi ba, sai ya ce, sai ya ce nashi taron, wannan kwamiti da ya kafa. Bayan sun fito da ajandar taro kuma sai ya ce to, bayan an tattauna, kuma su duba yiyuwar hanyar da za ta zama doka, a sa waɗannan abubuwan da za’a tattauna a cikin tsarin mulki.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: Well, well, all these talks, if you say so, then you have gone back to the issue of the constitution. OK, now, can’t you see how he responded? And said that his own convention, this committee that he established, after they came up with the convention’s agenda, and he said after they have discussed it, that they should look for possible ways to legally get the issues that will be discussed into the constitution.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Tsarin mulki.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Constitution.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: To, ka ji an koma ga majalisar ke nan.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: So you see, they would still go back to the parliament.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Yauwa, to, in an koma majalisa kuma majalisa, in ba ta so, tana iya kashe taron.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: And if they [[[the]] issues— Trans .] get to the parliament, and the parliament, if they don’t want them, they can kill the convention.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Haka yake.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: True. That is true.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Sai ta zauna ta yi shuru.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: And they will be silent about it.
ADO SALEH KANKIA: Haka yake.	ADO SALEH KANKIA: That is true.
TIJJANI ADO AHMED: Sai bayan an gama, kafin za ya zo yana cewa a duba a ga. Bai da wata kafa da ta wuce miƙa wa majalisa. To majalisa, tana nan zaune, in ta ga dama. Sai a yi tazarcen Obasanjo.	TIJJANI ADO AHMED: And when everything is done and over, then he will come out saying we should see what’s happening. He doesn’t have any power other than to hand it over to the parliament. Well, the parliament will just sit on it, and if it wants, it will approve Obasanjo’s type of term extension.

Comprehension Check

1. Comprehension Check Activity 1: Considering what Ado Saleh Kankia says, what can be inferred about the attitude many people have toward the prospect of a convention?
   1. Constructed Response / Model Response: The first speaker, Ado Saleh Kankia, implies that many people have lost faith in the convention process. Kankia mentions that the people saw no changes following the 2005 convention and then implies that people think this convention will be no different.
2. Comprehension Check Activity 2: Multiple Choice: Kankia implies that people feel indifferent about the 2015 elections because nothing is expected to change.
   1. [ ] True; [ X ] False
   2. Feedback: Correct. The statement is false. Kankia does not make any statements that imply the public is indifferent. He hints at the importance and impact of the 2015 election and implies that the election is influencing some aspects of the current political agenda. He states that there are issues that no one is willing to discuss due to the upcoming elections and that the upcoming election is causing problems.
3. Comprehension Check Activity 3: Multiple Choice: Which of the following best represents what can be inferred about Kankia's opinion of President Goodluck Johnathan?
   1. [ ] Johnathan is a responsive leader who is calling a convention to address the people's concerns.
   2. [ X ] He is a weak politician who has not been able to provide the strong leadership needed.
   3. [ ] Johnathan is a political opponent whose agenda does not reflect Kankia's political priorities.
   4. [ ] He has the right ideas as president, but his initiatives are not supported by the parliament.
   5. Feedback: Correct. Kankia says he agrees with the people and thinks the country lacks good leadership. In other words, he does not think Johnathan is a strong politician or leader. Kankia goes on to imply that without good leadership, the country could be ruined.
4. Comprehension Check Activity 4: Select All that Apply: Which of the following are opinions expressed by the speakers regarding the responsibility Nigerian citizens bear for the political situation?
   1. [ X ] The dishonesty of the citizenry is a major cause of current political problems.
   2. [ ] The citizens vote responsibly but are betrayed by their leaders.
   3. [ X ] The people must improve the situation themselves without expecting help.
   4. [ ] The people are apathetic and uninvolved in the political process.
   5. Feedback: Correct. Kankia asserts that the country actually has well-structured systems in place, and the problems stem instead from the dishonesty of the citizens. Both he and the host, Tijjani Ado Ahmed, go on to agree that it is the people who must fix the situation themselves because God will not fix things, and as they already discussed it is clear politicians will not either.
5. Comprehension Check Activity 5: Multiple Choice: Kankia implies that attempts to amend the constitution to accomplish change shifts power from the people to the parliament.
   1. [ X ] True; [ ] False
   2. Feedback: Correct. The statement is true. Kankia implies that solving problems through constitutional changes gives power to parliament rather than the people because constitutional changes must be approved by parliament. Kankia explains that if during the convention legislators are approached with a constitutional change they do not like, not only can they vote down the change, they can also shut down the convention, preventing other substantive changes. Kankia warns that if the parliament does not want to address an issue, it will refuse to allow the convention to take place, implying that if the people want to control the process for change, they must not involve the parliament.
6. Comprehension Check Activity 6: Select All that Apply: What can be inferred about Kankia's attitude toward and opinion of the parliament?
   1. [ X ] The parliament has more power than the president in the current system.
   2. [ ] The parliament is at an impasse with the president and will not approve legislation.
   3. [ X ] The parliament is not responsive to the needs and will of the people.
   4. [ ] The parliamentary system is dysfunctional and not serving the country.
   5. [ X ] The parliament cannot be trusted.
   6. Feedback: Correct. Statements made by Kankia imply that he does not trust the parliament and does not believe that the parliament will respond to the will of the Nigerian people. He also implies that the parliament is more powerful than the president because the president must defer to the parliament on certain issues. These opinions reflect his lack of trust in the parliament and his belief that the parliament will not respond to the concerns of the people.

Glossary

1. shugabanci na gari: (lit: leadership of the city) good leadership
2. kaza: such and such
3. karkace: (lit: bent) dishonest
4. tsarin mulki: (lit: governing structure) constitution
5. in ta ga dama: if it wants

Notes

The Notes provide cultural and linguistic information helpful for comprehending the text.

2011 Election Violence in Nigeria

According to a report issued by the Human Rights Watch shortly after the April 2011 elections in Nigeria, more than eight hundred people were killed and sixty-five thousand were displaced as a result of election-related violence, which was concentrated in several of the country's northern states. Goodluck Johnathan, a southern Christian, defeated Muhammadu Buhari, a northern Muslim, setting off protests and flaring already existing religious and ethnic tensions in the country. Following the elections, president-elect Goodluck Johnathan appointed a committee to investigate the violence. The committee was chaired by Ahmed Lemu, a respected Islamic scholar, and was informally referred to as the Ahmed Lemu committee. "Nigeria: Post-Election Violence Killed 800." May 17, 2011. Human Rights Watch. http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/05/16/nigeria-post-election-violence-killed-800.

Dictionaries

Awde, Nicholas. 1996. Hausa–English, English–Hausa Dictionary . New York: Hippocrene Books. This bilingual dictionary includes terminology relevant to users with interests in computing, information technology, business, and telecommunications. It includes over eighteen thousand entries. Newman, Paul. 2007. A Hausa–English Dictionary , Yale Language Series. New Haven: Yale University Press. This Hausa to English dictionary includes appendices on grammar and calendar terminology. Newman, Roxana Ma. 1990. An English–Hausa Dictionary , Yale Language Series. New Haven: Yale University Press. This English to Hausa dictionary includes appendices on grammar, pronunciation, and currency systems. On-Line Bargery. n.d. A Hausa–English dictionary and English–Hausa vocabulary. Accessed October 14, 2014. http://maguzawa.dyndns.ws/. This online resource features approximately forty thousand Hausa to English entries.

Additional Information

For another perspective on the 2014 Nigerian National Conference, read "The 2014 Nigerian National Conference: Facts Nigerians Must Know," by C.D. Orike, published on September 19, 2014, by the Premium Times , and available at the following URL: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/national-conference/2014-nigerian-national-conference-facts-nigerians-must-know-c-d-orike/ For more information about concerns related to the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria, watch "Atiku ya ce dole ne a yi zaben Shugaban kasa" (Atiku says presidential election must be conducted), published on September 19, 2014, by BBC, and available at the following URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=towtmrI8gGs