Tsohuwar Ajiya

Dr Ibrahim Malumfashi, July 1, 2006 This year, specifically this month of June marks the 25th year of the demise of Abubakar Imam, the foremost Northern writer and journalist. On the occasion of this anniversary, I wish to use this medium to highlight the comatose nature of Hausa written literature since that time and have a look at the inheritors of Imam and his age that permeates the Northern literary landscape. In doing that we hope to be able to lay things bare as far as the development of the literature is concerned. I think there is the need for this kind of soul searching from time to time so that we can come to terms with the reality of our times and construct a future without hiccups for our nascent literature. I will begin this discourse by repeating the well-known axiom I have been articulating for the last 15 years. I have this belief that in the North and among any age group of writers that once existed or still exist, there was none like Imam, none like him today a...