Visited the SIM eye hospital which attracts patients from all Nigeria. Te Hausa proverb says patience is the only remedy for eye disease. What cannot be cured must be endured. But here are cures like cataract removal. 8:45 am Hausa, 7 pm English service on Sunday. Dele Onamusi came to visit. We met him as a bakery student in Hatfield. He was to become my best Nigerian friend. He had imported ovens from England to replace the traditional new in his family business. He was a fearless witness in this Muslim city. He was to put a side on his house , IIRC at a time of cholera, saying, 'This is the finger of God'. The anthropomorphism was unacceptable to Muslims. He was eventually to start a Christian bookshop, Amazing Grace. Grace was his wife. She cooked the best Nigerian chop ever. Mt y favourite remains Nile perch with fried plantains, real luxury food. I did not realise at first but his bookshop was in the red light district of Sabon Gari, the new town. Old Kano was a walled Muslim only city. Outside are many non-Muslims and the streets are on the grid system like USA cities. Kano has been a trading centre for centuries. Victorian explorers found Birmingham manufactures goods there. In Sabon Gari there were traffic lights which did not work. Nigeria electricity, NEPA. We reclined the initials were for No Electricity Perhaps Anytime. Traffic congestion was such that at junctions with gridlock, if you saw a space you moved into it like the old hand held game of a sure with say 24 pierced and your move one into the vacant space and repeated this to make the pattern.
We had lessons every morning from an SIM lady, miss Forshey than practise with our Nigerian informant lady, Dije, later. A sneak thief stole Katy's watch. Left her ring. Later we were to lose our radio but these were our only losses in 12 years. Went to our own denomination's service in Sabon Gari the second Sunday. In the evening English service only one tenth of the morning Hausa congregation. Walking there we passed properties like an abandoned cinema owned by Ibos who had fled from the riots five years before.
Dele had trouble with the powers that be because he will not bribe. He is Yoruba Christian, they Hausa Muslim. Met a security guard who left the police over corruption in the force. Some years later I was teaching an extension course attended by a policeman who would come after his shaift. he was never in uniform. I asked why not. He said he only wore the uniform of thieves and robbers when in duty. He told the story of a new police commander in Kaduna whoa visited home in the West on leave returning with a large fish in his taxi. He was not in uniform. The taxi was stopped at a place roadblock and everyone ordered out. The police were stealing goods. The policeman in civvies reused to give up his fish. They said they were taking it. He said No and produced his warrant card. The robbing officers prostrated themselves before him begging forgiveness. Corrupt police in a corrupt nation.
We saw there were three classes of expats.First class were government, second class, business than we missionaries, third class. But the one privilege we had was that we could not be expected to pay bribes. Other whites and all Nigerians did. Dele was exceptional.
Among the SIM dates was a Miss Warfield, related to Wallis Simpson who also was a Warfield, Born Bessie Wallis Warfield.
Among the SIM dates was a Miss Warfield, related to Wallis Simpson who also was a Warfield, Born Bessie Wallis Warfield.
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