I Would’ve Been a Lawyer, Not Teacher – Blind PhD Holder
Though visually impaired from birth, Malam Jubril Isa Diso is the first in the country to read his way to the enviable position of an associate professor with 12 publications to his credit in the Faculty of Education, Bayero University Kano (BUK). The lec
Though visually impaired from birth, Malam Jubril Isa Diso is the first in the country to read his way to the enviable position of an associate professor with 12 publications to his credit in the Faculty of Education, Bayero University Kano (BUK). The lecturer who was a Special Adviser to the former governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, on Physically Challenged, in this interview, spoke about the secret behind his father’s decision to enroll him in school area though he is blind, how people treated him, his lecturing career and why he is setting up a project for the physically challenged, among others.
How did the journey of your educational career start?
I started my educational career in 1962 when the Royal Common Wealth Society for the Blind introduced education for the blind in Nigeria. Two of their officials, Professors Kime Sykes and Brain Douglas were sent from England to educate those of us that are blind in the country. Douglas was sent to the North, while Sykes was sent to the South. They stayed in the country for about two years to teach us the skill of brail reading and writing.
As time went on, they distributed us to different schools near our houses to make it easier for us to be attending school from home. I was sent to Dandogo Primary School in Kano. Only two of us were blind in the school, so they used to send teachers who were specially trained to attend to visually impaired pupils to teach us. Through that, I was able to do my primary school education in 1969 and thanks to God I passed.
However, the problem I faced after wards was that there were no teachers in secondary school who could continue to teach me. It was a new thing then to teach a visually impaired person how to read and write. The thinking then was how could the visually impaired be taught along with other students in a secondary school. So it was difficult for me, though, I did not let that stop me. I wrote the Common Entrance Exam and I passed. I gained admission at Wudil Teachers College but the problem was that there was no teacher in the school to teach a student that is blind. I had to return home where I stayed for a while.
While at home, my father heard about Gindiri School for the Blind in Plateau State, he immediately enrolled me and I started schooling there in 1973. That was where I learnt the skills of ordinary typewriting and brail reading very well within a year. I later returned to Wudil Teachers College to study with other students, sit for the Grade II Exam and, thank God, I passed all the subjects with credits in 1979.
After that, government decided to sponsor my education abroad. Unfortunately, because I didn’t know anybody there I had to stay back home in Nigeria and continue the struggle to further my education.
I got another admission to Gumel Advanced Teachers College but I couldn’t stay there for long because I also got another admission at Bayero University’s School of Advanced Studies. I finished there successfully and gained admission into Bayero University in 1983.
Unfortunately, the same problem I had at Wudil Teachers College came up again at BUK. There was hot debate about me. They said there were no facilities for blind people’s education in the institution. Some reasoned that I won’t be able to use the library and so on. So they said it would be difficult for me. But there was this Usman, now late, and one M. K Bashir who stood by me. They fought tirelessly to see that I was admitted. They told them that if the institution could not admit me they should stop using the books produced by the Arabs for the blind. It was then that they agreed to send Dr. Mai-Wada to the University of Jos to get the curriculum for Special Education for BUK. At that time UNIJOS had already established a Special Education Department. He went and returned with the curriculum and they approved the establishment of a special education department in the institution. They said it was because of me they established the Department of Special Education at Bayero University in Kano in 1984-85. After my studies the institution gave me employment and here I am today.
When I finished my degree course in 1986, they wanted to retain me at the university but I went to do my NYSC at Tudun-Maliki where I taught. Having stayed there for long, I felt I was wasting my time so I applied to do my PhD in Special Education at the University of Birmingham London. I studied there for two years and after my PhD I returned to Kano.
At the Ministry of Education where I worked they posted me to different schools to teach before I decided return to BUK. I was employed by BUK in 1994 and since then I have remained as a lecturer at the university.
What made your father to be so keen in enrolling you in school though you are visually impaired?
My father grew up at Diso/Galadanchi area of the elite. At that time everybody in those areas always made sure their sons went to school and became well educated. Because everybody around the area was willing to send their sons to school, my father also decided that if anybody there could send his son to school he saw no reason why he should not send his own blind son too to school to be well educated.
I was really motivated by his commitment to sponsor my education so I also decided that if ‘X’ could do this, certainly there was no way I couldn’t do it as well. We kept on struggling up till the time I finished school and was given employment to lecture at the university. Today it has become a blessing to our people. All the time I spent working with the Ministry of Education I was doing nothing other than teaching. Now that I am in the university system I have secured admission for many people, whether they are Muslim or Christian I don’t mind.
I attended a missionary school and people there were so kind to me. They were so friendly and were always ready to help me. In fact the Christians were more proud of me so when I came back to the university I don’t mind whether you are a Christian or a Muslim, mine is just to help in any way I could. Alhamdulillahi, the university authorities are giving me the necessary cooperation and assistance.
In the course of your struggle for education were there any incidents you suffered?
Well, there was at the beginning. At the earlier stage there were instances of discrimination. The serious problem and embarrassment I faced was during my examinations. Whenever I wanted to write exams there were no brail scripts. The only thing they could do for me was just to get somebody to come and sit beside me and read the questions to my hearing.
Now we have what is called embosser here for blind people. During exams the machine will emboss the brail for them unlike in my time. Thank God today everybody in the university, from the cleaners, messengers up to the lecturers and vice chancellor, are ever willing to work with me. Since they introduced this Department of Special Education I have no problem with anybody and people are always ready to give me any assistance I need.
Is there anything else you would have loved to do?
My first discipline was Sociology. Initially, my intention was to become a barrister at law but some people went to my father to tell him that the legal profession was full of people that were telling lies and this is forbidden in Islam. They succeeded in convincing him and he told me to forget about my ambition to read law. Instead, he said I should be a teacher. If people had not turned his mind against the law profession I would have been a barrister today.
Would you say you are fulfilled today after all you went through?
Well, nobody can really say he has fulfilled all he wanted until death. I am still willing to help other visually impaired people and those living with other disabilities. I am presently working on my NGO to help the disabled in the North.
When you are disabled there is stigmatization, especially if you are not educated. Nobody would like to be associated with you if you are deaf, blind or crippled. Society always looks at people in these conditions as different people. When people are disabled the only thing they thought they could do was to go to the streets to beg for alms and our religion does not want that. I will base the project on three principles: Education, health and empowerment.
Are you saying government is not doing enough for the disabled?
I can say yes and no simply because we don’t always have the right representatives of people living with disabilities in government. We are presently making it an issue with the Federal Government on the need to create a commission for people living with disabilities. Until we get this commission, that is when we can say government is doing something on the plight of the disabled in the country.
I am the first blind person ever to be appointed as Special Adviser on the African continent. I was appointed by the former governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, from 2006 to 2007 as his Special Adviser on the Disabled Matters. Many people were against it but thank God I did well. I was able to get free education for them and I also secured employment for about 400 disabled persons. Now that there is nobody in government to fight for us we have gone back to square one.
What is your area of specialisation?
Well, the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University is very much interested in the education of people living with disabilities. The university felt I am doing well, they felt I should be given a chance because I have many publications to my credit. I was moved to the position of an associate professor three months ago. Two of us in the department were promoted. Hajiya Gaje and Ali Tijjani who were associate professors are now professors. This is a great achievement for me.
I can say that in the whole country I don’t think there are up to three visually impaired people who are professors and I am the first to become an associate professor while visually impaired.
How do you relax when you are not in the classroom?
Oh, I love reading. Most times I am in the library. I also get hooked to the internet. With the help of my friends I surf the net for information I needed for my lectures. My friends also guide me through my WhatsApp messages. I like travelling in search of knowledge.