Lawmaker seeks FG recognition of Etsu Nupe’s dubar as national culture festival

By Saka Bolaji

Member of the House of Representatives representing Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency, Niger State, Hon. Saidu Musa Abdul, has requested the Federal Government of Nigeria to recognize Etsu Nupe’s Sallah Durbar otherwise known as Bariki as one the national cultural festivals in the country.

Bariki is an annual event commemorating the end of the Sallah Celebration (Muslims’ festivals of Idil Fitr and Kabir) in Bida, Niger State. During the event, Etsu Nupe leads a procession of horsemen comprised of traditional rulers, district heads, and title holders along with acrobats, magicians, praise-singers, masquerades, and musicians to parade through the city to the entertainment of his subject and paying homage to the ruling houses.

The lawmaker conveyed the request to the state overnment vide a letter to the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, CON at Abuja recently.

He disclosed that “a Compendium of Festivals in Nigeria with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture listed a number of major festivals across the country. Surprisingly, no festival from the entire Nupe race was captured in that document even though it was clear that the Nupe nation has gained global prominence for her rich history and culture over centuries”.

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The legislator applauded His Royal Highness, the 13th Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, CFR for not only succeeding in preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Kingdom but adding class, and dignity to it in no small measure.

He was impressed that “the durbar has turned Bida into a global center of attraction that has always drawn massive visits from different parts of the world any day it is coming up”,

Gwarzon Nupe pleaded with the Government to accord adequate attention to the festival and utilize its many opportunities, especially its huge revenue generation and job creation potential.