By Ibrahim A Waziri
By just a boom of a siren, at any particular time of the day, will see us rushing out to the palace. It was a source of the stories of the world, justice, power and all kinds of meaning human circumstances could offer.
The various Nigerian head of states, presidents, governors, politicians and any others the society and the media considered important were sighted first there by us.
Growing up in the 80s and 90s, around the Emir’s Palace Zaria. The place represented for us the peak in the practical meaning of an awe! Its protocols and orders are symbols of not only high culture but also of both magnanimity and discipline (Fada gidan ban kashi), on one hand; and magnificence and power on the other!
Yeriman Zazzau and affinity with Zazzau Populace
Every thing that is a reality of Nigeria was only made possible, first, for us to experience – at some level – or come into contact with, physically, via the palace and its expansive physical and logical paraphernalia.
There is a primary school located exactly next adjacent to the palace, which, a good number of us attended. Around the palace, we first started, as kids, seeing – with our koro-koro eyes – whitemen, Arabs, Chinese and all sorts of coloured people coming; those resembling actors and actresses we watch only on TV screens, in the days of VHS video players.
On top of all these, was the late Emir Shehu Idris, who we, as kids, were made to believe had some super natural abilities that could even shift his own personal appearances as a chameleon does, at will.
Didn’t you see him the other day looking very light in complexion? We would recall, interestedly, and nod! So now see him looking dark; we would look and indeed see that he looked darker! We would retire home in wonderment of how very special he was!
On other other part Iyan Zazzau Mal. Bashari Aminu was the star prince of the Palace with a privilege of the Emir’s first child among kins and of high degree of influence in the line of top of the palace protocols.
It was very usual along story and gossips lines, one would find us mentioning his name on high pitches and deep sighs. ‘And so Iyan Zazzau arrives…’. ‘Immediately when Iya enters the place…’. ‘There are so and so people there, including Iyan Zazzau…’and so on and so forth!
Needless to mention that perspectives and perceptions about reality changes, as the case with a good number of us, and in relation to the palace and its people, and what that means and should mean, over the years.
But certainly moment of loss and change as these when within the span of only four months, Emir Shehu and the star prince Iya Bashar, are lost, is sure to generate in us a condition of emotional turbulence and nostalgic reflection.
Iya Bashar is going to be remembered by his charisma and the awe he could inspire in every, place and situation he found himself.
He was a loyal family man and a trusted and highly reliable comrade to those very close to him; a truly people’s prince who lived to the expectation in any commitment he ever made to those who relate with him. May Allah continue to rest his soul along with Emir Shehu, Talba Abdulkadir Iya Pate, the countless number of faithfuls; deceased, both now and before! _
Ibraheem A. Waziri wrote from Zaria
