Kebbi State, The Land of Equity

 

Kebbi State Logo

By Yakubu Ahmed-BK

I have always been very proud of my state which aptly goes with the lexicon - THE LAND OF EQUITY. This state, tucked away in the most north western part of the country, is unarguably Nigeria's most peaceful state. 

Kebbi may fool a first time visitor into dubbing it as laid back and conservative, but its people, though very humble and not easily given to arrogance and pomposity, are self-made, conscious of their place in history, approachable and very reliable. 

Although politics in Nigeria comes with its attendant social and security implications by way of political thuggery leading to violence, Kebbi has been totally bereft of it. The youths that are economically and socially challenged are there alright, and just like in other states, some of these youths are unskilled and unemployed, the tendency for them to be reasonable and protect the larger interests of all, far outweights the desire to destroy or kill. 

Birnin Kebbi for example is outlaid in such a way that we all know ourselves, literally. The capital city, due to its richness in fadama topography, can only be accessed through two main "inlet" and "outlet." The rest of the land is fadama and small rivers dotting the landscape providing means for farmers of all hue to till the land for subsistence.  

Crime level is very low, despondency is there alright, but our pride is that God The Almighty has provided the arable land for the hardworking to eke out a decent living. To cap it all, Kebbi has the most hardworking, able bodied and resilient workforce. 

If you come across any group of street beggars or almajiris anywhere in Nigeria and they claim to be from Kebbi state, I give you the guarantee that if you probe further, they are likely to be impersonators. Kebbi neighbours some places that are almajiri friendly. But if you see them on the farms and in rivers or lakes across the country and beyond cultivating farms and fishing, or in the abattoirs, take it from me, they could be our people.

When Kebbi was created out of the old Sokoto state in 1991, Sokoto nearly went aground as the bulk of the educated civil servants prepared to rush to the new state to struggle for places in the service. Sokoto had to bilaterally arrange for Kebbi state indigines to stay behind and make up for the shortfall. Kebbi competes with most states in terms of level of education as can be seen in the number of Military, Customs, Immigration, Police and other security organs' personnel. As at the last count, there are close to two hundred Professors of Kebbi state origin (of various critical disciplines) spread across the globe contributing to making the world better.

We are not doing badly in all spheres of national life even though, just like most northern states, there is a very big room for improvement. We are the quite type alright, but our essence resonates far and wide as our people struggle and compete to earn decent and dignified living. 

I love the peace here because I now know that its importance is uppermost. I have taken it for granted, believing erroneously that it is a person's birthright. I now know that it is the most important commodity around and we thank God the Almighty for creating us this way - in love with peace, harmony, tranquility, creativity, modesty, simplicity and courage.  

That is why we are Kebbi state... THE LAND OF EQUITY.

Note: I wrote this two years ago. I am reproducing it because I still feel strongly about our essence as a people.