OGU DAY KANO: When Clan Becomes A Tool For Upliftment, Not Hatred
_By Mohammed Dauda Adano, in Kano._
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family and companions.
The Ogu Day and Empowerment Disbursement Kano by the All Inclusive Association of Eziogu, Kano Branch, under the leadership of Comrade Alh. A.A. Garba, held at Tourist Camp beside Nasarawa Secretariat, Bompai Road, Kano on 3rd October, 2026, has created an impactful memory for Ebira needy and less privileged.
I recall on transit to Kano, I stopped at a filling station to refuel and gave lifts to two Ebira women going to Kano for farm produce business. They narrated how they benefited from their annual clan day – Ezi Aniyewe Day 2025 empowerment for widows and orphans.
Some pooled the money together and gave it to two people to purchase grains from Kano and later shared it for sale. They share the profit and rotate it to the next person for the next market. That empowerment has been helping them to feed and pay their children’s school fees.
I was so overwhelmed that I jokingly told them if their clan would accept me and my brother in the front seat, we would like to switch to their clan for a while, just to be part of a clan that uses its resources to uplift others and not to cause acrimony and hatred among clans in Ebiraland.
That reminded me of what Yunusa Ozi Okasime said on our wedding trip to Ajaokuta where he moderated the reception of Alh. A.A. Garba’s son. Yunusa stated that he has switched from his clan of origin Oziogu to adopt Ozi Akuta as his new clan for producing Governor Usman Ododo who is doing well in governance, and to relocate from Okengwe to Upogoro as the village that produced this servant leader of Kogi State. Not for anything but to associate himself with a clan and area that is making Anebira proud by their doings.
If I had done so then by switching to Eyiwe clan of Eika, my brother Ozi Okasime would have thought I stole his plan ahead of him. (Smile)
Today, the Ogu clan is doing what I adore – using their union to promote economic empowerment of their people and extending it beyond their clan to each of the 6 district associations in Kano.
Out of 35 beneficiaries categorized into two, some went home with ₦100,000 each while the rest went home with ₦50,000 respectively.
Since Yunusa is here, I will announce henceforth that I have become part of Oziogu clan for what they have done today, while Yunusa has assured me that he will secure my entrance form and that Alhaji A.A. Garba would not hesitate to grant approval for my membership to the Ogu clan Kano branch.
My invitation as guest speaker was to speak on the Islamic point of view on empowering the needy and less privileged, with beneficiaries cutting across district associations like Adavi, Eika, ODA, ODDA, Ihima Welfare and Ajaokuta districts to represent our tribe as a whole.
_WHAT ISLAM SAYS ABOUT TRIBE/CLAN_
In Islam, tribe/clan is not abolished. What Islam abolished is blind tribalism that makes you support your people in oppression.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked: Is it asabiyyah to love one’s people? He said: No, but asabiyyah is to help your people in oppression.
Allah says in Surah Al-Hujurat [49:13]:
“O mankind, We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”
And in Surah Al-Ma’idah [5:2]:
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.”
_And the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned us about negative clan spirit:_
“He is not from us who calls to tribalism, he is not from us who fights for tribalism, and he is not from us who dies upon tribalism.” [Abu Dawud 5121]
He also said to Abu Dharr when he insulted Bilal because of his lineage:
“You are a man in whom there is Jahiliyyah (ignorance of tribal pride).” [Bukhari & Muslim]
And he said: “Four matters in my Ummah are from Jahiliyyah: boasting about lineage, slandering lineage, seeking rain by stars, and wailing over the dead.”[Muslim]
The Prophet said: Help your brother whether he is oppressor or oppressed. They said: we help him if oppressed, how if he is oppressor? He said: Stop him from oppression, that is helping him.
_What Islam expects from a clan member:_
✅ Keep your tribal/clan identity: YES
✅ Be proud of your tribe for Taqwa and good character: YES
❌ Think your tribe is superior, insult others because of clan, or fight/cut ties because of clan: HARAM – This is Jahiliyyah
The answer to the question Chairman Alhaji A.A. Garba asked: This empowerment scheme initiated in Kano under his leadership, with resources sourced by members of Eziogu clan to assist those in need, cannot be classified as wrong in the eyes of Islam.
Ibn Hajar says: “The Prophet praised tribes not for blood but for Deen (Religion/Faith)
and Akhlaq (good conduct) that became dominant in that tribe. Ansar for sacrifice, Ash’ariyyin for Takaful (social support) in sharing food during famine.”
It is exactly the positive clan spirit that Islam encourages.
With the above narration, what Eziogu has done today in sharing money to members and non-members of your clan is a Godly, righteous and rewardable act in the lens of Islam.
Long live Eziogu Kano brothers and sisters.
Long live Eziogu worldwide.
God bless Ebira nation.
May this empowerment scheme not be the first and last. May Allah bless what has been given and reward all those who contributed.
Ameen
Mohammed Dauda Adano writes from Kano