As far as traditional rulership in Nigeria is concerned, the Etsu Nupe and paramount ruler of the Nupe nation, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Dr. Yahaya Abubakar, CFR ranks amongst the most outstanding; not only because of his privileged position in the order of protocol of emirs and chiefs in the North but also going by how he is revered by his subjects and respected across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.
Traditional rulers, by convention, should be seen hard at work building bridges and serving as forces of conciliation, helping to bring people together, irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political differences or whether or not they belong in the so-called political mainstream or in the opposition. This role, the Etsu Nupe has continued to play excellently well, serving as a father to all.
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For a good measure, the Etsu Nupe fits neatly into the above job description of a traditional ruler. Since his ascension to the throne of his forebears as the 13th Etsu Nupe on September 11, 2003, he has completely transformed the Bida Emirate and indeed the entire Nupe Kingdom into arguably the most efficiently run kingdom in the country.
Testimonies to that effect abound. In the last 18 years that he has been on the throne, there has been no reported case of any violence, whether sectarian or otherwise in his domain.
Beyond sustaining the rich and proud legacy of his forebears, Dr Yahaya Abubakar has served as the permanent Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers with uncommon humility and courage. He is also an effective chairman of the National Mosque, Abuja, maintaining and sustaining it as an architectural landmark and a leading centre of religious and intellectual activities in the country’s federal capital.
Furthermore, he has brought to bear his wealth of experience to the new found peace at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where he has been Chancellor for the past few years. Also, as the Chairman, Coordinating Committee, National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, he has been a beacon of.
However, those who know him up close are not surprised at the quality of leadership that Etsu Nupe has been providing to his people, the good people of Niger State and even beyond. The royal father came to the throne well prepared after a distinguished career in the Army, rising to the enviable rank of Brigadier General.
But perhaps, the most significant of Etsu Nupe’s achievements in the past 18 years is how he has forged unity and cooperation amongst the Nupe people of Niger, Kwara and Kogi states. Keen watchers of developments in Nupe kingdom in the last two decades can attest to the fact that in spite of the continuous effort to obliterate African cultural practices by agents of western civilization, the Nupe are enjoying a renaissance.
The Etsu has made this possible through the symbolic celebration of the Annual Nupe National Day in Bida, the headquarters of the Nupe. During the annual event which takes place on the 26th day of June every year, the Etsu Nupe with the support of his colleague – Etsus of Patigi, Agaie, Lafiagi, Lapai, Tsaragi, Tsonga, Kupa-Abugi and Bassa-Nge – superintend symbolic exhibition of culture and reliving of age-long traditions.
The 26th June marks the day when the British Army was defeated by Nupe warriors led by the then Etsu Nupe Abubakar on June 26, 1896. The British Protectorate in Lokoja had approached the Bida Military camp at Ogidi of present Kogi State resulting in the defeat of British Constabulary and the Union Jack was seized by the Nupe Cavalry.
The kingdom’s rich tourist attractions are also being further projected to the world in the renewed efforts to revive the Nupe culture. Tourist attractions of note are the confluence of River Niger and Kaduna, which shows a clear distinction with marked differences between River Kaduna, whitish in colour and River Niger greenish in colour. The two never mix as the confluence progresses down until after several kilometres where the influence of the other smaller tributaries alter the natural process.
Embedded in the cultural revival effort by the Etsu Nupe includes the effort by the Etsu’s council to educate the world through the media on the key social and mystical powers of Nupes that have made the people very popular, especially the Ndakogboya Masquerades. Not to be missed is the traditional horse racing competition which now holds annually in Bida.
Wholly taken, it is easy to see that Etsu Nupe Yahaya has put his people on the world map through the projection of the virtues of hospitality, respect for others and integrity that Nupe sons and daughters are known for worldwide.
By Muhammed Kuta Yahaya, a Professor of Agricultural Extension and Development Communication at the University of Ibadan is the Magatakarda Nupe and the author of “The Nupe People of Nigeria”
