Environment

Misconceptions About Sabon Gari Kano

To many, Sabon Gari Kano is associated with immorality, probably because of the perception that the dwellers of the area are themselves immoral. The ideology behind this belief can be traced to the heterogeneous and individualistic pattern of relations between and among the Sabon Garians of which has produced weak solidarity.

The fact that sabon gari gives room for freedom of expression does not make it different from other areas in kano in terms of “being God fearing”. I am not justifying the wrongs in sabon gari but I see no difference between it and the hypocritical ones happening outside the area.

It will interest you to know that in sabon gari;

  • About 75% of those patronizing chalets are not from the area.
  • About 60% of the regular customers of beer parlors are not from that part of kano.
  • About 90% of those that own, organize and participate in gidan gala, gidan dambe(where weed smokers commune) are not sabon garians.
  • About 98% of drunkards that sleeps in the gutter are not from sabon Gari.
  • 98% of iyan sholi/iyan kwaya are not from sabon gari.

Interestingly, many from other parts of kano uses sabon gari to give negative illustrations and some of these illustrators have no clear picture of the actual reality and situation of things in the sabon gari area. You introduce yourself as being from sabon gari, many will judge you as immoral and unethical person; they do this forgetting the questions of homosexualism and lesbianism, issues of incest taboo, cases of married women addicted to drugs of which is happening outside sabon gari just to mention few.

It is worthy of note that, streets like france road by igbo road and by feasting road, airport road by hausa road, and Burma road by Zungeru road are some of the route through which this intruders come into sabon gari especially on weekends to perpetuate their immoral activities taking the advantage of the freedom of expression and the accommodative nature of the area to paint her black.

Some misguided ones beliefs that they can never live in Sabon Gari tagging it corrupt but they patronize ungodly places in the area much more than the inhabitants.

Meanwhile, it will interest you to know that most people from sabon gari are far from what outsiders described them to be. Using myself as an example; I am from sabon gari but I don’t smoke, I don’t take alcohol, neither do I visit brothels; so why the labeling?

I am not condemning any area in kano but I will recommend that this moral inspection and correctional services should be holistic and not segmented to any particular area.

 

the author
Broadcasting
I'm a public affairs analyst. Currently studying political science at Bayero University, Kano. A radio presenter at BUKFM, Kano. I believe in hardwork and self development.

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