And, again I have been asked to come up with, this time an article, on rather short notice. Ususally that wouldn't be an issue at all and in fact, as I'm back in Maiduguri mainly to sort out some administrative issues and can't really plan any other activities before I know my appointment dates, it should really be giving me something useful to do with my time here. But ... I don't know, usually writer's block is not a serious issue for me and I have written essays in shorter periods of time but now ... I actually wonder whether this is not rather stage fright then a writer's block. I mean, I can't even make up my mind which aspect of my field research to write about!!! So, yes, maybe its really the fact that this is not 'just' for my supervisor but will be printed and potentially read by lots and lots of people. - And before you mention it, no a blog is something else. Its not even meant to be academically sound in terms of content and language!!! ... ... ... Oh, and before I give the wrong impression again: there is a part of me that is really really happy to be back in Maiduguri, its just that in terms of my research I should have moved on to Kano by now!!! As a private person I'm happy to be back here and have some more time with some people I really care about.
'Portraits' of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio
When I flicked through the papers this morning – online, if you must know – I came across an article in the Daily Trust that extolls the virtues Usman dan Fodio and his generation of northern Nigerian political leaders. It sets them up as good examples of leadership and argues that current President of Nigeria Muhammad Buhari should take inspiration from them to solve the current crisis of leadership in his government. Now, I don't want to get into political arguments here. I only mention this article – here, in a space that I said I'd use to organise my thoughts for my art historical writing – because it was illustrated by a photograph of a smiling elderly man. The caption underneath the photograph identifies the man in the picture as 'Shaikh Usumanu Danfodio'. Now, the founder of the Sokoto caliphate may not have been the only Sheikh named Usman (or Osman or Usumanu) in the family. However, the article makes it pretty clear that it is him that the author ...
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