Synopsis Of Rev Abba’s Two Books 

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BY SIMON REEF MUSA

 

The two books that have been written by an ordained priest of the Catholic Church and a consummate  intellectual, Fr. Williams Kaura Abba, is set to be unveiled to the public on Tuesday April 06, 2021 in Madakiya, Zangon Kataf Local Government, Kaduna State.

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Fr. Abba in ‘Inclusion, Fairness And Good Governance: The Pragmatic Philosophy of Patrick Yakowa’ embarks on a scholarly inquest into the snaky evolvement of various tools of suppression against smaller ethnic groups in the early period of Nigeria’s independence to contemporary times.

 

Publicly acknowledged as a humble and fair minded leader, Yakowa was once described by President Muhammadu Buhari as incapable of displaying any form of religious bigotry. The Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, would pledge at his graveside to continue with his legacies.

 

 

 

The book not only provides a clear basis in understanding some of the undercurrents that defined the life and times of Yakowa, it takes a look at the unique ideals behind what the governor stood for from four major patterns of group relations, socio-economic emancipation, radicalisation and insurgencies and the burden of minorities within a political entity.

 

Providing a historical perspective on the dialectics of how marginalisation has become the burden of minorities through the years, Father Abba insists that most times ethnicity has been used by the political class as a tool of oppression and conquest.

 

The writer argues that the deployment of ethnicity in politics by big ethnic groups is always aimed at creating divisiveness than uniting groups within a political entity. The priest points out instances where big groups have expressly used ethnicity and religion to lording it over minorities. To Fr. Abba, oppressing the minorities is not the exclusive preserve of the majority group, smaller tribes are also engaged in domination as demonstrated by the recurring Jukun and Tiv crisis of Taraba State.

 

Exploring the different means through which the virus of ethnic subjugation has become an anathema  in politics, Rev. Abba attempts illuminating the dark path by showing how the late Governor, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, carried out diverse methods in dousing flames of ethnic conflagrations among groups filled with tendencies for combustion.

 

The writer comes up with what he refers to as ‘Yakowaism’ as means of enthroning those ideals adopted by Governor Yakowa which seek to unify and give sense of belonging to various groups living in a political entity. The 7-chapter book attempts at reviewing various issues that have trailed Southern Kaduna and what he described as an innate attempt by smaller ethnic groups to behave as belonging to the Hausa-Fulani group to access the dividends of governance.

 

Fr. Abba asserts that it is within the ambit of this excruciating oppression suffered by Southern Kaduna communities that has given rise to violent reactions and elongated the horrifying years of violence that can only be resolved by resorting to equality so as to assuage the pains of the present by ensuring justice for all groups.

 

Identifying the need to embrace the ideals of Yakowa as means of combating violence, political upheavals and violent crimes threatening to throw the nation down the incinerating valley of destruction, the author concludes that only the adoption of Yakowa’s style of governance as demonstrated by his deliberate attempts at providing equity and justice for all groups is capable of saving the day.

 

Fr. Abba’s ‘From the Pulpit To The Public: Quenching The Flames of Division’ is a compilation of his sermons and speeches in churches and other events. The book does not only show the various sides of the priest as a consoler and giver of hope, it also portrays the cerebral prowess of the priest in sharing the grief borne by the bereaved and also given hope for the hopeless.

 

 

 

 

 

‘From the Pulpit To The Public: Quenching The Flames of Division’ comprises seven sections containing homilies and talks on various thematic preoccupations. Section One deals on the subject of thanksgiving as the book features sermons delivered at various occasions of thanksgiving for friends and families.

 

 

 

While second section of the book centres on the theme of death featuring various funeral homilies delivered by Father Abba, section three deals with matters confronting Southern Kaduna during peace and crisis times. Through inspiring speeches and incisive articles, Father Abba reiterates the need for fairness, justice, peace and equal opportunities for all.

 

Section four contains a tribute for the Most Rev. Joseph Danlami Bagobiri, the pioneer Bishop of Kafanchan. The sermon at the funeral of a young man, Raphael Sarki, who was killed in Zikpak, Kafanchan by terrorists portrays the role of the priest as a consoler-in-chief.  Section five contains talks and speeches delivered at different forums.

 

Section six documents the priest’s random thoughts and carpets those who have relegated the act of goodness for society on account of personal interests and ulterior motive. Section seven deals on book reviews.

 

 

 

This book is an excellent portrait of Fr. Abba as he confronts issues that trail spiritual and public life of citizens and the faithful. On each occasion, he does not falter in rising up to provide a beacon of hope and inspiration for his many admirers and flock that have come to see him as a consistent truth speaker who has remained a voice of hope for citizens still groping in the dark.

 

 

 

Without any form equivocation, these two books are products of a painstaking intellectual exercise spanning several years. Not only will these books become reference materials for scholars and members of the public, these books have the potential of broadening national discourse for spiritual growth and national development.

 

 

 

Considering the content of these books that are set to be unveiled to the public next week, Fr. Abba must be applauded for staying the cause and at the same time probing issues that are confronting us as both citizens and a nation.

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