Alhamdullilah, Bisminllah, well I actually studied Electronic Engineering in the United States, and when I started working with the NTA, I worked as an Engineer, studio engineer, and we were doing a lot of things. That was 1980, exactly, by 1980, I was working with the NTA, and when I started in the studio, we were kind of, we were challenged, not only by the environment itself, which was then environment of people coming out with innovations in terms of acting and in terms of productions, we were challenged because at that time there was a little bit of politicking between NTA and the state, that was then Plateau state, the Governor then decided that he is going to kind of build another TV station for the people of Plateau, so he came up with Plateau Radio Television then. So, will he get the work force, he decided to call on Girgis-Sala- ma, and Girgis-Salama happens to be the person, who established, was the first manager of BPTV, so when he called on him, knowing the terrain, Gir- gi-Salama decided that he is going to interview, he is going to conduct interview for those who want to be in his new organization, that’s the PRTV now, so all our workforce in NTA were being carried to BPTV, so we were left with very few, very few work- ers in NTA, NTA Jos, so that was a challenge. And everyone that was heading any depart- ment was touched with that effect because almost all the workers, we were very few that were left in NTA, so what happened, I am going to mention names, Mary Bewell decided that “Karkuzu”, which happen to be her major breakthrough now he is no more with them, he is also taken to PRTV, “Karkuzu” was a Hausa drama series, so she called on me, and said Okay, I should help the then writer by the name...Asadiosi, so Asadiosi was writing Karkuzu and I was also helping him in writing some of the episodes.

So this time we were to put force together and to write what is called “Takadari”, and when we were writing “Takadari”, it was then Mary Bewell called on me, that, there is this character that they created and she wants me to be one of that char- acters, I said okay, and unfortunately, I don’t know, the character was Kwaskoro. Kwaskoro happens to be a Fulani man, and he is a friend to Takadari who was the major Character.

And he would always come to Takadari’s house and, you know how the rendition and the char- acteristic of a Fulani man, all carried along, so she said I was the person perfect for that, so unfortu- nately I left for a meeting in Calabar, and before I came back they started shooting, so she brought up somebody to do it, then one day she said kai! This guy is not giving me that very character, Magaji, please come, so I came in and the first episode I acted, ah... it was... I am not praising myself, anyway, but then, it was in me. So, we went on and on, and Kwaskoro became the leading character instead of Takadari himself, and every- body was looking, where is this Kwaskoro? So, ah, ah, so it was then I started, that was, even today, Kwaskoro, who is this guy. Well, you see acting, if it is in you, it becomes a driving force, it becomes everything about you.

Even if you are not getting a dime, is till what drives you, gives you the happiness and the joy, doing what you know doing best what you know, it becomes making people happy, you feel you got that joy in you, you feel you belong, even though

you are not inventing cars, aeroplane to fly. You feel, yes, you are still flying, and the sky happen to be the home of stars. So if you feel you are there in the sky, you also feel people are looking at you, watching you, glittering over there, so that is actually what acting has done to me, and I feel grateful to Allahu, because not only that, I feel that I am contributing humanly. Well, when you contribute humanly, you will know, if you are not making this man happy, probably you are making that man happy, or that woman happy. Maybe by only hearing your voice, something in her will be cured. So that is my feeling, my general feeling. Well, Nasarawa state is a young state in terms of appreciating entertainment, but we feel that coming back home to build home, home is better than anywhere, even if you are getting nothing. Even if nobody is saying yes, I appreciate, but you know somewhere, somebody is appreciating what you are doing, I came back home because I believe Nasarawa State needs somebody like me. In fact, when we came back in 1999, when I came back, because when, by 1996, I came and I surveyed the environment, and I decided that what is going to happen is to form a Production Center here, and I went back in search of what I can bring. So while doing so, Suleman Adara called on me and said, it is better for me to come back home. Not knowing what I was preparing, so I came and met Zakamata, so we did a production, “winners and losers”, we thought yeah, people accepted it and they iden- tified with “Winners and Losers”, it worked.

It was a weekly series on NBS, it was going good, but then the financing was not forth coming, I understood with them. But for me, you know, I have sacrificed myself, so even when every artist left, I said okay, I can continue with my participation in the program. Then I formed what is called “Ifricare Communication Network”, which was a production center, and I decided along, I was doing some editing and I met younger guys like Hassan Musa, I met them doing what they’re doing, Aliyu O.Rabiu, and then I said ah, ah, since this is what you are doing, I know we can team and let me see how I can help. So we decided to do what we were doing, and we were doing some production and I allowed them to, yes, let them do the production, because at that time I cannot say this is me, so I allowed them to okay, they will come and ask me what will I do, what will we do, I said okay, this is what you should do, this is what you should. I was trying then to bring them up, and they arise, they rise, ah... oh Rabiu is now with his own... studio, I am glad that the young guys, everybody now, almost all of them find something to do, and some peo- ple saw and admire what they are doing, and they decided now to follow up, and I liked that, but the problem which is still there, funding.

I called on them, because I said okay, em... “Winners and Losers” was in English, I am going to establish something in Hausa, which is “Wa ka chi, wa ka bari”, no funding, in fact, I told you we suffered like this, because I was promised by the NTA then that if I produced “wa ka chi, wa ka bari”, I will take it to them. Then the woman was transferred and I was left with my... I did 13 episodes, in any case, later on I talked to my colleague who is now the D.G of NTA, and he said okay, he connects me with another lady, and she has taken the “wa ka chi, wa ka bari.” Yes, when we were doing “Winners and Losers”, you will be surprised people from Benue were coming, young guys, young university graduates were coming from Benue, because one, they did not have a Television station in Benue to showcase their talents, but we are fortunate enough to have NBS, and we started, we started because we thought the government will support, but at that time, I don’t know, yes, I am not accusing anybody. But because you have so many things and govern- ment have so many areas of priorities, you know. I have acted in two meag films with the title of Queen Amina. Queen Amina, the first one came, we acted with Kasimu Yero who is now of blessed memory, and Ibrahim Abba Gana, and Sadiq Daba.

Well, Nasarawa state is a young state in terms of appreciating entertainment, but we feel that coming back home to build home, home is better than anywhere, even if you are getting nothing. Even if nobody is saying yes, I appre- ciate, but you know somewhere, somebody is appreciating what you are doing, I came back home because I believe Nasarawa State needs somebody like me.

I was called again by some producers, and I acted another Queen Amina, directed by Izu, Ojukwu. The first one was directed by Ndubisi Okh. I have acted in so many other, movies incluing the now popular Gidan Badamasi on DSTV Arewa Channel. And way back then, I acted in 1985 in the award winning production “Agony of a Motherland Awards”in 1985, when we were in NTA, because that was the beginning for me (laughs), it was produced by Abdulkarim Abdullahi and Awwalu Sani the current Executive Vice Chairman of NBS: Nasarawa Broadcasting Service was the writer, yes!