Poets In Nigeria honours late Ado Bayero, rejoices with Emir Sanusi II

By Maryam Gatawa

Poets in Nigeria (PIN) Kano Connect Center has held its maiden 2-day Bilingual Poetry Workshop at the American Corner, Murtala Muhammad library Kano, recently.

The workshop, which was part of the association’s pre-poetry award activities, targeted secondary school students and young poets.

Dozens of secondary school students, budding poets, emerging writers and lovers of poetry were introduced and grilled by seasoned poets and poetry experts on the rudiments of poetry and poetry writing.

Ismaila Bala, a poet and lecturer at the Department of English and Literary Studies, BUK, took the participants on the art of composing poetry, from the mundane, routine, common, the unknown, ethereal, to the complex.

Also, Prof. Musa Idris Okpanachi of Department of English, Federal University Dutse, drilled the participants on the basic concepts embodied in the beautiful art of poetry and he followed up with the step by step processes of how a poem is composed. This session ended with an avalanche of questions which were professionally handled by the duo.
During the Hausa session, Malam Aminu Ladan Abubakar, popularly known as Alan Waka, unraveled the many guidelines and the know-how of writing good Hausa poems especially ‘Waka ‘yar Tagwai’, a Hausa piece that combines both the characteristics of a written and oral poetry.

On the second day, Dr. Wale Okediran, Khalid Imam, Nasiru G Yan-awaki, and Sulaiman Salisu Muhammad popularly known as Mai Bazazzagiya, took turns to educate the participants on various poetry mechanisms.

At the end of occasion, the emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, represented by Ambassodor Ahmad Umar, (Dan Malikin Kano), received a plaque in honour of the Emir. The San Turakin Kano, Alhaji Ali Ado Bayero represented the late Ado Bayero family and received a posthumous award for the late emir.

Thereafter, priceless cash prizes, certificates and gifts were awarded to the winning poets and students who excelled during the workshop.

In English category, Safiyya Kabir who is an MBBS student of ABU Zaria, won the gold prize, Hassan Muhammad Usman from Niger state and Dr. Mariya Abdullahi Sidi from Kano state got the silver and bronze prizes respectively.

In the Hausa category, Isah Aliyu Abdulrahman from Sokoto state took home the gold prize, while Binyamin Zakari Hamisu (Abul Waraqat Ayagi) from Kano and Rukayya Muhammad Bello from Yobe state won the silver and bronze prizes respectively.

The host, Khalid Imam, PIN Kano Lead-Representative, offered an all-encompassing remark and vote of thanks to all the guests that found time to grace the occasion.

Ms Gatawa is the PRO, PIN Kano connect center.

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