Musa Na Allah Sokoto
A Philanthropist and renowned Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Faruku Sarkin Fada, has on Saturday sponsored the annual mass circumcision of Children in Sokoto’s north and south local government areas.
Circumcision is the removal of all or part of the foreskin from the penis, It has been a tradition and culture of a typical Hausa community to circumcise male children below the age of 10 during the harmattan period.
A typical Hausa community attached extreme social values to adults circumcised, as against those without circumcision. It is referred to in Hausa as “shayi, or kaciya.”
The practice is religious and multi-cultural in many parts of the country, especially amongst Hausa-speaking communities.
The State Chairman of PDP, Hon. Bello Aliyu Goronyo, while speaking to newsmen at the venue of circumcision at Alhuda College of Health Technology Bafarawa estate said Sarkin Fada is trying to revive the age-long tradition and culture of Hausa-speaking communities.
He said circumcision practice in a traditional Hausa setting is conducted on boys, under the age of ten years during the period of harmattan.
Goronyo said the decision by the PDP stalwart to use the harmattan period for the circumcision of boys across 22 political wards of Sokoto’s north and south council areas is highly commendable.
The PDP Chairman called on other philanthropists and well-to-do individuals and groups to emulate the good gesture of the PDP chieftain.
Speaking shortly after the commencement of the mass circumcision, the sponsor of the program, Sarkin Fada said the gesture was aimed at assisting the less privileged parents who could not afford to circumcise their wards despite reaching the age period.
“The Mass Circumcision will be carried out in all communities within Sokoto North and South local government areas devoid of tribal or political inclinations”
“We will do our best within our God-given resources to give back to the society, especially with the current economic hardship experienced by many households”
Many parents interviewed by our Correspondent at the venue expressed appreciation for the kind gesture made by the philanthropist’ ” If I am to take my child to Hospital for circumcision, I will spend 8000 naira and now I am getting it free of charge, especially at this trying moment when people were struggling to have a square meal where will I have the money to buy even drugs.
“Sarkin Fada is a philanthropist per excellence, he is championing the revival of Hausa speaking age-long tradition and culture of mass circumcision, “May Allah reward him abundantly, says a married woman who brought her child for circumcision.
It’s celebrated by many through communal or individual patterns by parents of children that reached the circumcision age of 6 and 7 whether collective or in a single household of a Hausa village or community during the harmattan period.
