Yan Boko: An Encouraging Word for Graduates
By Hashim Suleiman
The negation is not new. I finished my B.Sc in 2005/2006 session from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria.
Even before I went for my mandatory NYSC service, people, most of whom had not gone beyond primary 6 or at most started but didn’t complete secondary school, started being canaries over university education.
One in particular, said it to my ears and eyes, “in dai malami na aiki, bokon ka ba zata tsinana maka komai ba.” Well, two days ago, I went back to our family house for ziyara and I still saw him sitting in front of their inherited house, waiting for the sun to become hot before moving into their zaure: his daily routine for the past two+ decades.
Was I happy seeing him like that? No, I wasn’t. May be that’s his faith.
Also, in the evening time, there was a shayi joint, wurin gajere mai shayi that we normally stayed before each retired for the night sleep. In that joint, we, those that finished school, looking for jobs, had our small corner because we had no money to afford the goodies.
Whilst our peers doing achaɓa and other jobs had the luxury of buying tea, buttered bread da indomiyu, we mostly had to do with shayi and small cut of bread.
Not only that, we always had to meekly turn our heads away from the jibes thrown at us. One of such jibes that stuck in my memory was one particular one thrown to us by somebody called Ɗankasin.
That man looked at us and shouted on the top of his voice thus: “Wa? Ni da ɗan boko babu taimako. Ko mutuwa ɗanboko zai yi, ba zan taimake shi ba.” The irony was that none of us ever asked him for help. It was just purely his own way of negating ɗanboko.
We still occasionally see, Ɗankasin is really in need of help, he’s sick, haggard and has no energy to continue with achaɓa business. Wallahi, even though what he said still stings, I’m not angry with him, may be that’s his faith.
Also, after my NYSC service year, while dropping applications for jobs, many discordant tunes from people I had no business with always had a way of coming back to my ears.
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I vividly recall one job examination I went for. After the computer examination, which I knew I would not pass because the system I was writing the examination on kept going off and rebooting itself. I called the attention of the invigilators but they couldn’t do anything. Of course, I failed the job examination and I wasn’t angry at all.
However, on coming back home, a friend, Rabiu Musa Ɗankaka pulled me aside and admonished me to never let people know when next I was going for such examinations or interviews. As according to him, bakin mutane guba ne. I laughed it over and I’m still laughing over it whenever it crosses my mind.
Even after these years, those negations have not stopped. Recently, I saw an old friend from that era and I parked so that we can greet each other properly.
After the usual banter, he said “Ku ƴan boko baku ɗaukan kowa a motar ku, daga matan ku sai ƴaƴan ku.
Gaskiya, I didn’t let that jibe went unreturned.
I coldly told him, “idan ka sayi taka motar, to ka riƙa ɗaukan karuwai da ƴaƴan bariki.”
Though he was visibly hurt (people like him are used to talking any how without expecting hurtful rejoinders) he quickly recooped himself together and apologised, I also apologised.
I am writing this because I know currently many a graduate in many of our communities is enduring similar scenario.
I am writing to tell you, by design, such discordant tunes about your certificates either online or offline are meant to make you stronger. They’re parts of the tests life would continue throwing at you on your way to the top.
You have to know, in life, nothing worthwhile comes easily. In life, to get to the spot on the top, you have to struggle. Reaching the top is worth all the negativities and discordant tunes that come as steps for your rising.
The moment you reach the top of where you want to be, you’d turn and appreciate all the things that sharpen your resolve of going to the top.
Do not relent.
No one says life is easy but striving is better than giving up. Even on the top, there are tougher stands occupied only by those that work their ways up.
Keep going.
This is your morning tonic.
Hashim Muhammad Suleiman, PhD is a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria
