Army Chief Urges Nigerians to Support Blind Hausa Songster, Yahaya Makaho
BY ABDULKAREEM HARUNA, Abuja
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai had at the weekend, implored well meaning Nigerians to show supports for disabled persons with unique talents like the Hausa songster, Yahaya Usman (popularly known as Mallam Yahaya-Makaho), who launched his recent music album in Abuja on Saturday.
Buratai said the Kaduna state-borne blind singer, Makaho, has become a legendary point of reference in the promotion of the aphorism that "there is ability in disability".
Speaking as the Special Geust of Honor at
the launch of the album titled - in Hausa - 'Haka Allah Yaoso' (Thats the way God wants) General Buratai who was represented by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said "Mallam Yahaya Makaho is in deed he is blind who has the abilities that some of us with functional eyes don't. He has a God-given talent; this talent is not only about singing and music, but in many facets of human endeavour.
He said his brief meeting with the 34 years old blind singer had given him opportunity to appreciate the wealth of wisdom, courage and determination to be above board like normal persons, which are inherently deposited in every disabled persons.
The Army Spokesman said in less than two decades that contemporary Hausa entertainment evolved,Hausa artists, especially in the northern Nigeria have been doing their very best in the promotion of arts, culture peace and unity.
"In deed some people may be criticising and condemning their generational change and how they go about their entertainment businesses, but we should know that God is the maker of all times and generation; and it He that brought us to this era", said Colonel Usman.
"It is not surprising to see how God allowed Mallam Yahaya Makaho to venture into all kinds of vocations and trades in the journey of his life, but since God did not destine his means of sustenance in those enterprises, he has to return to music; and today he is doing well; and also he is very lucky to have good people who believe in his dream and chose to help him build it. These good samaritans are his fellow singers and well meaning individuals like Alhaji Nasiru. May God bless you all.
Calling on well meaning individuals, including those that did not make it to the album launching event at Sheraton Hotel, to support the multi-talented singer, the Army spokesman said "the COAS and the entire soldiers of the Nigeria Army, shall continue to give its support to such talents even beyond your expectation.
Though he did not make public the COAS donation for the launched album, Colonel Usman said the COAS has pledged "something chunky" that will be passed across to support the young blind man.
He appreciated all musicians that have composed songs in the praise and motivation of the Nigerian soldiers even as he called on other artists to join in such patriotic duty to the nation. He assured that with the support of all citizens, Nigerian soldiers at the frontline will "do their best in seeing the quick end to the Boko Haram insurgency in no distant time.
"We are going to ensure this happens even if it means laying sacrificing our lives", he said. "Everytime we are set to leave for the front line, we say a final goodbye to our families, should in case we could not make it back home. And that is how it shall continue to be.
He commended the philanthropy of Alhaji Nasiru Danu, the CEO of NHD Interbiz Ltd who bankrolled the event as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Key note address at the event was delivered by a former National President of Nigeria Association of the Blind, Barrister Danlami Bashiru, (a blind man) who reiterated the need to evolve better words or lexicons in languages to describe persons with disabilities. The international blind icon said pity attitude of the society towards the blind has always been the bane of the disabled persons's ability to exhale in different fields of human endeavours.
He said there is need to overcome environmental barriers to help the disabled persons succeed. Adding that it is very sad that people would rather use such efforts to exploit people with disabilities.
He thereby called on government and employers of labour to begin thinking of creating enabling environment in their places of work that will see to giving equal opportunities for even the disabled persons.
Singer Makaho who later performed life stage said even as a blind man he had defied all pressure to take to street begging as he at different stages of his life, eked out living from jobs like firewood cutting and selling , wares hawking, provision selling etc. He said he suffered in his self pride and quest for self actualisation in continuing to resistance taking alms as other disabled persons in the northern Nigeria.
The event was attended by the representatives of the Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Kaduna and Jigawa state governors, the President Northern Reawakening Forum, Barrister Umara Kumalia, Hon. Faruk Adamu Aliyu, the VC National Open University and a host of other.
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Kareem Haruna
Assistant Editor
(Former Bureau Chief Northeast Nigeria) +2347034246574
+2348057244878
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