By Yakubu Liman
The brain behind the famous Kano monument ‘Kano Golden Jubilee, has reacted to the pulling down of the structure she designed.
In an interview with our reporter, Kaltume Bulama Gana said she was inundated with phone calls from family, friends, and well-wishers from within and outside the country commiserating with her and moaning about the loss for the edifice she created.
“I have been answering phone calls since morning from people over what happened, people are utterly shocked,” she said.
The gifted artist explained how she received the news of the pulling down of the monument which also celebrates northern women’s rare achievement in the arts.
Kaltume is a renowned artist and the Curator of the National Arts Gallery in Kano.
Her design of the monument entitled ‘The Golden Gate’ won the state-sponsored competition for the edifice’s design in 2017 to commemorate Kano’s Golden Jubilee.
Kaltume was celebrated and given an award in an elaborate state ceremony at the commissioning monument when it was built.
Early this year the Association of Bakers in Kano baked a giant replica of the monument in part of their annual meeting and Bakers Day, to further celebrate this rare feat by a woman from Kano, given the cultural and religious barriers.
The Kanogolden Jubilee monument is the 3rd monumental landmark that dots the three roundabouts on the famous ‘State Road’. A major road in the city that runs from the Government House to the Emir’s Palace in the old city.
When Kano clocked 20 years a monument was constructed at Kofar Nassarwa, the roundabout, and when it celebrated the Silver Jubilee, the second roundabout was erected, then the Golden Jubilee at the third roundabout in front of the government house.
The first two monuments gave way to the flyover bridges constructed to ease traffic and were duly re-erected by the side quite unlike this one.
