Re: Dan Fodio, our history and our curriculum

There are many errors in elementary History textbooks concerning the history of this country. The case of Usmanu Dan Fodio is just one out of thousands of such errors. For example, there are such errors with regard to amalgamation of 1914, nationalism, the political crises of 1966, and the civil war. These deliberate distortions are […]

There are many errors in elementary History textbooks concerning the history of this country. The case of Usmanu Dan Fodio is just one out of thousands of such errors. For example, there are such errors with regard to amalgamation of 1914, nationalism, the political crises of 1966, and the civil war.
These deliberate distortions are written and re-written in biographies, journals, novels, newspapers etc. They have almost become a gospel truth to certain people of this country. For instance, up to now, there is no correct figure of the people killed during the civil war. Even recently I heard President Muhammadu Buhari quote the figures, I was wondering from where he got his own? Is it from Chinua Achebe or Chimamanda Adichie? The civil war gist by some writers was that Hausas killed Igbos or it was a jihad declared by Hausa/Fulani against Igbo/Christians.
Those who claimed that the number of the deaths exceeded one million cannot explain how they came about the figures. So, the history is written by tribal champions. Some scholars of integrity like late Dr. Yusufu Bala Usman, Kenneth Dike, Obaro Ikime  and rest of them had done their best in exposing these lies. The blatant lies some scholars wrote about 1804 Jihad have caused this country so much in terms of bloodshed. It is because of this that some ethnic groups see others as settlers or non-indigenes.
Distortion of history is one of the reasons why some Nigerians are calling for the break-up of the country. And that Usmanu Dan Fodio waged Jihad mainly to liberate Fulani from Habe rulers was far fetch from the truth. The Habe rulers did not only oppress Fulani. And those who fought against the Habe rulers were not only Fulani. And it is not true that the heathen tribes in northern Nigeria were forcefully converted to Islam or enslaved. Many scholars had discredited this claim.
I can blame the Ministry of Education, National Educational Research Development Council, UBEC, among other agencies for recommending such substandard textbooks in our schools. In Nigeria, the political leaders are contributing to the declining of quality education. Mercenaries are given contract to author and publish textbooks which our schools use to teach. It is not only English or History but other subjects like Civic Education are also affected by this virus.
Bishir Dauda Sabuwar Unguwa, Katsina