Sani Abdullahi Kofar-Mata
We must acknowledge our responsibility. This is the true meaning of the Hausa phrase “Musan kammu.”
It is a call for honest self-reflection, a call to own our faults, accept our roles in the decline of our societies, and rise to the responsibility of repairing what we have collectively damaged.
In today’s world, blame is casually assigned while responsibility is easily evaded.
Yet the bitter truth remains: the many challenges confronting our communities, ranging from social decay, youth delinquency, insecurity, leadership failure, economic hardship, to the erosion of moral values, are not the outcomes of chance or the result of some distant enemy.
Rather, they are symptoms of our internal failings, our complacency, selfishness, neglect of duty, and absence of collective discipline and civic responsibility.
It is time we abandon the culture of blame and embrace the culture of accountability. The Holy Qur’an clearly states:
“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Qur’an 13:11)
This verse is not just a divine truth, it is a life principle.
Lasting change must begin from within. When we fail to discipline ourselves, nurture our children with the right values, support our communities with commitment, and challenge injustice and corruption with courage and sincerity, we lose the moral authority to demand change from others.
As citizens, we are the foundation of every society. When the foundation is weak, the entire structure trembles.
The parent who ignores their responsibility, the teacher who abandons integrity, the religious leader who fails to preach truth and justice, the civil servant who takes bribes, the youth who chooses shortcuts over struggle, and the elder who watches in silence, these are not isolated failures. They are interconnected and have collectively shaped the reality we face today.
The Hausa proverb reminds us: “Idan dutse ya fado, ba daga sama ya fito ba”—If a stone falls, it did not fall from the sky.
Similarly, the African wisdom teaches: “He who does not know where the rain began to beat him will not know where to dry himself.” These proverbs capture a universal truth: the origin of our challenges lies within us, and so must the solutions.
It is time we took ownership of our communities. True patriotism is not in shouting slogans or waiting for government interventions; it is in performing our roles with honesty, commitment, and a deep sense of purpose. As John F. Kennedy profoundly stated: “Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country.”
We must return to the principles of hard work, integrity, compassion, and justice. We must begin to ask: What have I done today to make my community better? What values am I instilling in the next generation? What example am I setting?
Leadership is not limited to political office—it begins with self-leadership. If every individual leads themselves rightly, our families, streets, towns, and ultimately, our nations will be on the right path.
Let us not be mere spectators in the theatre of decline. Let us be actors of transformation. Let us turn our regrets into responsibility, our complaints into commitment, and our helplessness into action.
We must inspire our youths, revive our traditions of honesty and accountability, and work collaboratively to rebuild our social fabric.
A better future is not a gift; it is a result. That result begins with the honest admission of our role in the past and a determined choice to rewrite the narrative.
We are both the cause and the cure of our condition. Let us rise with wisdom, walk with sincerity, and act with purpose.
