Attending a wedding ceremony in the month of Ramadan for a typical Muslim is rare because the holy month is usually observed by Muslims in sober piety and abstention from all worldly pleasures including abstaining from food, drinks and emotional contact with the opposite
sex from dawn to dusk for twenty nine or thirty days. It is usually a period of spiritual renewal by reflecting on Allah’s mercies on mankind, remembrance of his majesty through the constant recitation of his words as contained in the holy Quran and humbling one’s self in
repentance for our transgressions. The month of Ramadan is also characterized by voluntary night supplications to almighty Allah by Muslims seeking for his intervention in their affairs.
Therefore, it was a departure from the norm, when I hopped into a waiting vehicle
with two very distinguished Nigerians representing Kogi state at the federal House of Representatives, Tajudeen Ayo Yussuf and Mohammed Kabir Ajanah, heading for the eastern Nigerian city of Enugu, on the special invitation of Pat Asadu, a senior ranking member of the House of Representatives from Enugu state to attend a wedding ceremony of a mutual friend. Enugu is home for me and I looked anxiously forward to their usual generously warm reception. I was not disappointed but I was in for a pleasant surprise.
Our search for a complete set of cuff links with compliments of button accessories that will match our richly embroidered babanriga took us round the city of Enugu to some of the leading super markets without success. Just as we were about giving up on the search in order to
return to our hotels and get set for the church service and wedding reception, Hon Ajanah came up with an idea. ‘’Is there a Hausa community in Enugu’’ he asked Casmir our tour guide who is also a legislative aide to Hon Asadu. “Yes sir! He answered with a glow in his eyes that portrayed excitement. We made a detour and moved towards an area located off Ogui road known as” Ama Hausa.’’ This predominantly Arewa settlement is said to be over a century old, spanning several generations of families that were born, bred and permanently reside in Enugu city. I was surprised to find such large population of Arewa Muslim men, women and children in Enugu on the eve of Eid el-Fitr. I had expected a deserted settlement as most inhabitants would have moved North to celebrate the end of Ramadan festivities. The only explanation to this is the fact that for the Arewa community of Ama Hausa, Enugu is home and the only home they
have always known. A home they have lived all their lives and contributed immensely to its socio-economic life. They can be rightly described as Arewa indigenes of Enugu because their settlement is permanent on their own acquired landed properties. From the sales of
the cuff links and button accessories we went in search of, to fabrics, food items, cattle breeding and operation of slaughter slabs.
The vast business activities of the Arewa community of Enugu is a testimony of the strength in our diversity as a nation. The money market of Enugu is a near monopoly of the Arewa indigenes of Enugu, with their countless number of bureau de change operators in the city.
The looks on the faces of the men, women and children while carrying out their brisk businesses showed confidence in the unity of their fatherland and not anxiety over a possible break up. You could almost swear they are unperturbed about the separatists’ agitations of Nnamdi
Kanu’s IPOB and the reactionary quit notice on the Igbo community living in the north. They know as much as all patriotic Nigerians do that what binds us is more than what separates us.
This year, the celebration of the Muslim festival of Eid el-fitr in Enugu can be compared to the celebration of Christmas in the Christian majority state because of the full participation of the state government under the leadership of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. The governor began the celebration with the hosting of his visiting Muslim friends and some indigenes of Enugu state at the Lion Building. At the dinner, the governor revealed his plans to celebrate the end of Ramadan
festivities with the Arewa indigenes of Enugu state. For a man who is reputed for his fidelity, Governor Ugwuanyi kept a date with the Muslim citizens of his state when he visited the Enugu Central Mosque to celebrate with them on this very special occasion.
The next day, Eid el-fitr celebrations moved to the Nsukka axis of the state, as Hon Pat Asadu hosted the Muslim community in the two local governments of Igboeze and Nsukka, which he represents at the National Assembly to a grand celebration. This was no ordinary celebration
because it was a celebration of unity in our diversity as a nation. Ibagwa Aka town in Igboeze local government is home to the largest Igbo speaking Muslim community in the entire South East region. The oldest mosque in the South East, which is about a century old, is situated in Ibagwa Aka town. The Arewa community in Ibagwa Aka has not only been assimilated into the indigenous ethnic Igbo Muslim community, but has been socio-politically integrated. The high point of this socio-political integration was when Suleiman Ibrahim, a member of the Muslim community was elected as councillor of Ezema, one out the three wards that constitute Ibagwa Aka town. The current vice chairman and organizing secretary of the PDP in Amebo/ Hausa/Yoruba ward are also individuals from the Muslim community.
I agree completely with Chidi Odinkalu when he wrote, ‘’ no nation is a fact of nature’’. A country of ethnic nationalities can only evolve into nation states because of the various peoples resolve to make it so. From my Enugu experience, we are who we decide to be. The political leaders and people of Enugu have decided to be one irrespective of ethnic differences and they have become one. Little wonder, their diversity is celebrated by all as a source of pride and
strength. The current ethnic groupings that we all fit into were as a result of backward integration of diverse peoples who shared even the least cultural commonalities as identified by European social anthropologists. Today, we only need to resolve to loosen our rigid ethnic identities by focusing on our similarities and forgo our differences and embark on forward integration of our diverse peoples in order to evolve into a united nation state that can survive the new world order.
