I'm so so happy I decided to begin this piece with a few stanzas from the late Hausa song legend, Dr. Mamman Shata Katsina, in the late Garban Bichi's song.
Apologies to non-Hausa speakers for I know not how to appropriately translate it to convey the message:
"Abinda nike faÉ—a Garba, to ya matso Habu Zaki, sake shiri uban Nura, Kaka ta matso Habu Zaki".
Amshi: "Haji Garban Bichi ÆŠan-Shehu".
"Baba shirin bana ya wuce da na da, GyaÉ—a ta fara jar fata".
Amshi: "Haji Garban Bichi ÆŠan-Shehu".
"Auduga ta fara kitse Garba, GyaÉ—a ta fara jar fata".
Amshi: "Haji Garban Bichi ÆŠan-Shehu".
Join me to thank Allah for his favors. All I can do is to thank Him for blessing me with a fourth graduate in the house, and a medical doctor at that.
Mauludatu Ahmad is on her way to qualifying as a medical doctor, having passed all her final papers for MBBS successfully at Ahfad University for Women, Omdurman, Sudan. The last hurdle she has to scale is to pass the qualifying exam by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, when she returns.
I'm not surprised, though, looking back at her antecedent; she had never taken below second position right from nursery to secondary schools. It's always either first or second. I remember how she made a brilliant boy cry and he complained to his father when she joined their class where he was always at the top of the class. But since she came he was forced back to the second position till they passed out of that primary school!
At the Federal Government Girls' College, FGGC, Bakori, it was either first or second position. It was not surprising, therefore, when she graduated with seven distinctions and two credits in her WASSCE, carting away a few prizes along the way. Her interest in medicine might have started at secondary school where she was the Assistant Health Prefect. She was also the Head girl in the primary school.
The only setback she ever had was when she couldn't secure admission at Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, to read medicine in spite of her high grades both in WASSCE and JAMB, because that same year, ABU, was forced to reduce the number of medical students it admitted by the then Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr. Abdulmumini Ibrahim. I consoled her and asked her to go to School of Basic and Remedial Studies, SBRS, Funtua, affiliated to ABU, and wait till the following year since she was determined to read Medicine. At the end of the year her CGPA in that school was 4.5. Unfortunately, that year , ABU did not admit medical students. But she was admitted to read Computer Science. She cried her heart out and was about to resign herself to fate when destiny beckoned.
There was an advert in the Newspapers by Katsina State Government to sponsor indigenes who scored 7 credits and above to study medicine and other courses abroad. She jumped at the chance. An exam and interview were conducted where she easily passed and won the scholarship. As a matter of fact, she and her sister, Mubinatu Ahmad, successfully passed those exams. While Mubinatu was selected to study B.Sc. Nursing, Mauludatu was selected to study Medicine, both in the Sudan. The selection committee only allowed one person from each local government area, but the Deputy Governor, at the time, was so impressed with their results that he insisted both of them must be selected even though he was told they were from the same house. But Mubinatu decided to reject the offer as she was already a 200 Level student of Human Anatomy at ABU. She, too, had wanted to study Medicine but ABU gave her Human Anatomy. She sat for the Sudan exam thinking she would get Medicine, too. Almost like her sister, she too had graduated from FGGC Bakori with 4 distinctions, 5 credits in WASSCE a year earlier than Mauluda and was also a Senior Health Prefect during her time both in the Primary and Secondary Schools.
Their younger sister, Halimatu, too, graduated from the same FGGC Bakori, a year after Mauludatu. She, too, made 3 distinctions and 6 credits in her WASSCE. She went ahead to bag B.Sc. Economics. One funny thing about Halima was that when she started nursery school she was always at the top of her class, maintaining first position. Suddenly, one day she came home with her report card and announced that she was tired of taking first position. Curiously, from that day she never took first position again till today. But she was always among the top ten.
Earlier, their elder brother, Nasif Ahmad, who had also been a Health Prefect in Primary School, had made 6 distinctions and 2 credits in his WASSCE. He studied B.Sc. Computer Science and acquired additional professional qualification, CCNA. He, too, had passed the exam for the Katsina State Scholarship to study Pharmacy in the Sudan in the first set. His name was shortlisted but, for some reason (call it fate), dropped at the last minute.
The younger sister to Halimatu, Ummu Salma Ahmad, was a Head girl at the Primary School as well as at FGGC Zaria. She too had been taking first position right from Nursery to Secondary School. She made 5 distinctions, 3 credits in WASSCE. She is currently a 200 Level Law Student.
Salma's younger sister, Safara Ahmad; SSS 3; Social Prefect; President, Princess Club; Vice President, Press Club; Vice President, Anti-Corruption Club, at FGGC Zaria, also looks promising, having scored 206 in her JAMB. She has just completed writing her WASSCE and is currently writing NECO.
Mauluda's success, however, was not without some challenges. In the last few years, she was bedevilled by ailments which forced us to ship her back home for treatment several times because it was cheaper than paying for her treatment in Sudan because of the high inflation in that country. Back here, Dr. Abubakar Mairua, a friend, assisted very much in treating her. In spite of these challenges, Mauludatu, has never failed her exams. At one time, she very nearly missed an important exam while trying to go back after such treatments. This was caused by Sudan Airways who kept postponing the flight for 8 days! In the end, I had no choice but to buy another ticket from another airline before she went back and was barely able to sit for the exam just a day after she returned - and she passed.
And half way into the final exam she fell sick again. As usual, something to do with Gastritis. Sometimes she had to be placed on drips. She got so sick during the last three papers that she couldn't eat but kept on vomiting. They couldn't even place her on drips as they couldn't find any vein. Still, she persevered, taking the drips orally and vomiting them right back. She did her last but one practical paper after taking two bags of drip and some injections at the same hospital she was doing the practicals. So also on the day she did her last paper. The practicals entailed examining a real patient, asking him questions, diagnosing and making the appropriate prescriptions under strict observation by the examiners who later asked critical questions. The examiners were sympathetic, helpful, but firm and strict. They assisted her with water and held her hand when she wanted to vomit. They suggested she defer her graduation if she couldn't cope but she insisted she could. But thank God she managed to finish the exams in that condition - and, mercifully, she passed...
About 280 of them from all over the world started the course six years ago; only 19 were Nigerians and only 7 of them were on scholarship from Katsina State. Of the 280, only 178 finally graduated including all the 7 from Katsina State.
I have always told my children not to place too much hope in getting a government job. So, to prepare for any eventuality, Mubinatu started learning tailoring in the neighbourhood while she was in the university. The opportunity to sharpen her skills presented itself when an NGO, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, gave them further training in tailoring and entrepreneurship. And during her NYSC, she was lucky to serve at the Katsina Youth Craft Village where she immediately enrolled for a course in Tailoring and Fashion Design. She was so good that after the course the school began to engage her on part time basis to teach other corpers posted there as most of the teachers could not teach in English. Other courses she did after NYSC included a Professional Certificate in Public Health/Microbiology (UMYUK), Global Health eLearning Center Certificate in Immunization Essentials (USAID), Certificate in Women and Youth Vocational and Entrepreneurship Development Program. Mubina, now an expert tailor, is looking to set up a Fashion Design Outfit.
Nasif also did a few courses after NYSC which included Certificate On A+, N+ & CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate), Certificate in Entrepreneurship Development Studies (EDS), and a Global Health eLearning Center Certificate in Immunization Essentials (USAID). He is currently attending a training in Graphic Design sponsored by my niece, Rukayya Ayyuba, who has started the publication of a Magazine. He is also into petty trading of buying and selling materials, dresses, phones and whatever comes his way.
Halimatu has also done a Certificate Course in Films and Photography at Katsina Youth Craft Village, Certificate in Entrepreneurship Development Studies (EDS), and a Global Health eLearning Center Certificate in Immunization Essentials (USAID).
Ummu Salma, too, is not left behind. She did a Certificate Course in Basic Computer Training as well as a Certificate Course in Beauty Saloon at the Katsina Youth Craft Village.
So as you can see, I have nothing more than gratitude to Almighty Allah for such blessings. If I died today, I would be a fulfilled man.
"So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?" Quote from the Holy Qur'an: Ar-Rahman (55:13).
May Allah bless them and make them beneficial to humanity.