Senator Shehu Sani To Sponsor Queen Amina Biography

By Trace Reporter Staff on July 25, 2016

Kaduna popular Senator Comrade Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna
Central, said he will personally sponsor a new and comprehensive biography of Queen Amina of Zazzau, to correct erroneous biographies written about her by foreign historians.

Sani, the Senate Committee Chairman on Foreign and Domestic Debts, disclosed this on Monday, shortly after he visited the tomb of Abakwa, father of Queen Amina in Turunku, Igabi Local Government of Kaduna State.

“My visit to the tomb of Abakwa, who happened to be the father of Queen Amina of Zazzau, is to acquaint myself with a piece of our history, a chapter in our journey as a nation", he said.

The senator noted that Queen Amina was a champion of human and women rights, of
which not much was written about.

“I think it is a very big challenge. My presence here is to see, how I can personally contribute towards preserving those historical locations for the present and future generations of Nigerians.

“I am using this opportunity to sponsor a comprehensive new biography of Queen Amina,
which will be researched by history departments of selected universities in Northern Nigeria.”

According to him," history lecturers will be selected from higher institutions in Kaduna and Niger States, as well as Bayero University, Kano and Usman Danfodio University Sokoto".

The senator noted that most of what was said and written about the legendary queen was erroneous.
“We have allowed some other persons to paint her in a very bad light, because we have
allowed the Europeans to define to us; who we were and how we are.

“We must not see ourselves from the perspectives of the Europeans. We should see ourselves from the perspectives and narratives of our ancestors and the legends that had been transmitted from generation to generation of Nigerians. “

He noted that Nigerian history had been mostly limited to the coming of Europeans, with
present day Nigerians limiting the nation’s history from the period of 1914 amalgamation.

“But it was very clear from what we have read that our ancestors had done everything possible to protect us; to develop our society at that era before slavery, colonialism and racism.

“I believe if we pay attention to the history given to us by our ancestors, we will certainly
be more respected as a people,“ Sani said.

The senator also pledged to investigate the allegation of stolen artefacts from the Abakwa tomb by some colonial masters and ensure their return.

“I will take up the issue of the artefacts with the British High Commission in Abuja.