‘Now I fit finally call di name of my town without shame’
- Author, Mansur Abubakar
- Role, Reporter, BBC Pidgin
- Reporting from, Lagos
For di pipo of Ghari local government wey dey Kano state for north west Nigeria, dis na happy days afta President Muhammadu Buhari recently sign into law bill wey change dia name from Kunchi to Ghari.
For over three decades, pipo of dis town endure di pain and shame associated with di name ‘Kunchi’ wey mean Anger or Frustration for Hausa language.
For 2020, wen BBC Pidgin visit di town, di pipo tok about dia struggle for name change and why dem dey shame to tok say dem come from Kunchi for fear of mockery and disappointments.
Musa Salisu one of di pipo wey BBC Pidgin tok to wen dem visit yan say dis na di best of days as for im side, President Buhari don leave im biggest legacy for dia town.
“Since we hear di news, everybody for dis town just dey happy because na sometin wey our pipo dey fight for for very long time.”
“Now I fit proudly mention di name of my town without any fear or shame.”
“Una remember wen I bin tell una say my friend lose girl wey im wan marry because she feel say our town name na bad luck.”
“Ghari na our new name and na one wey we dey proud of wetin remain now na for all documents to start to bear our new name.”
End of Di one wey oda users dey read well well
Anoda resident Bashir Sabiu say e don dey flaunt di new name like pesin wey buy new car just because of how e dey sweet am.
“We don too suffer for pipo hand so now na our time to flex, I dey feel like say I buy new car.”
“For years, if we comot, we dey shame to mention di name of our town because of wetin e mean for Hausa wey no good.”
“And you know in Hausa, we say ‘Suna linzami’ wey mean name na like horse bit and dey always follow pesin wey get am.”
'We hope di new name go change our fortunes’
Barrister Lawal Lawal na legal practicioner for Kano wey don speak on radio stations regarding di pursuit for di change of name tok say dis news na great one.
“My prayer na for di change of name to change dia fortunes as well because Kunchi used to be di most backward local goment for Kano.”
“If you go dia to even get beta restaurant to eat na problem so dat anger or frustration name na im dey hold dem back according to wetin our clerics tell us.”
Di lawyer tok say wetin remain na for all documents wey carry di former name to disappear from all official places.
“If na anoda kontri immediately di president sign dis into law you no go see anytin with Kunchi name on top again but here e go take time.”
“Even car number plates wey get Kunchi, dem suppose recall dem and new ones suppose dey issued with di Ghari name.”
Mallam Dauda na imam and preacher and e tok say Islam dey against bad name so na good news say di name Kunchi don finally go.
“Even during di time of our beloved prophet wey we dey try emulate, e bin change some pipo name wey no good.”
“For example, somebody come meet am and im name na Mur wey be bitter in Arabic e change am and anoda come, im name na fire, e also change am.”
“Good name dey vey important and na sometin wey dey play big role for pesin life.”
Wetin di new name Ghari mean
Professor Tijjani Naniya na professor of history for Bayero University Kano and e yan say wetin di new name Ghari mean na place wey get water.
“You know Kano na place wey get a lot of rivers and streams in di past and Ghari na one of dem.”
“So Ghari na place wey dey hold water like a dam.”
Although e also tok say at di initial stage, di name Kunchi na Kun-ci wey carry different meaning to di bad one before later pipo come change am.”
“Di place na land of warriors before and afta dem win one hard battle against Damagaran pipo na im dem name am Kun-ci as in ‘una win’ before later di name change to bad meaning.”
