Forsaken palace of Ona of Abaji

I was a guest at the turbanning of Alhaji Yahaya Ibrahim Sulaiman as the 10th “Wanguwan Abaji” on Saturday, the 27th day of April, 2019. First, Wanguwan is the title of the leader of Nupe Nation in Abaji equivaent to “Sarkin Nufawa” in Hausa. I was told Abaji was a town developed by 3 major tribes […]

I was a guest at the turbanning of Alhaji Yahaya Ibrahim Sulaiman as the 10th “Wanguwan Abaji” on Saturday, the 27th day of April, 2019.

First, Wanguwan is the title of the leader of Nupe Nation in Abaji equivaent to “Sarkin Nufawa” in Hausa. I was told Abaji was a town developed by 3 major tribes which are: Egbira, Nupe and Hausa. The 4th ethnic group is “Ganagana” who are said to be  a Nupe dialect that can be subsumed into Nupe generally. At the earliest time, Both Nupes and Hausa were set to have engaged in propagation of Islam majorly, hence, the Egbiras who were not carried away by preaching were made the Rulers of the entire land under the leadership of the Ona. The Hausawa’s were giving the office of the Liman (the spiritual leaders who is also responsible for leading prayers till today). As time went on the Nupes on the other hand formed a separate rulership of “Wanguwan Abaji” which was and is still under the leadership of the Ona of Abaji and the appointment of every Wanguwan is made by the Ona of Abaji himself to the members of the ruling class. The first Wanguwan Abaji was Malam Ndayisa who assumed the throne in 1895.

In essence, the Sovereign traditional ruler of Abaji is the Ona of Abaji, HRM Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa . So, Ona, an Ebira by tribe is a leader whose majesty covers other tribes beyond the Ebira tribesmen of Abaji. In short, the similitude of the position of Wanguwan of Abaji and the Ona of Abaji is that of Sarkin Fulanin Gombe and HRH the Emir of Gombe respectively.

Now, on the Ona and the Palace of the Ona of Abaji HRM Alh Adamu Baba Yunusa. It was my first time in Abaji and the palace. I saw was a building with a normal traditional plan and in front of the official palace “laqad ja’a kum” Qur’an 9:128-129 is inscribed on the wall of the “room” that is supposedly the Ona’s official palace. That place should in a normal day not contain more than 20 persons if healthy living is anything to go by. I couldn’t believe it was the palace of a first class Chief who is equally the Chairman of the FCT Traditional Council of Chiefs because the “palace” was filled by not less than approximately 50 people sitting and standing  in addition to the hundreds of people outside who couldn’t find a place to stand or sit. The whole place was hot with one visible standing fan that has been running to no avail, and many couldn’t help but step out after swimming in the pool of our sweat and joined or formed groups to bitterly complain about the condition of the palace. This is unlike so many beautiful palaces such as our Bauchi Emir’s Palace.

Another person who knows the Ona personally said he believes the Ona is so reserved and contented to seek for the improvement of the Palace. The Ona deserves a better, spacious and well designed palace because he represents an institution and a body of people. Prophet Sulaiman (May Peace be Upon Him) maintained a super beautiful kingdom but that doesn’t dent his piety. Let me not go far, I have been to Sokoto and the Sultan’s Palace is not like the cage in which the Ona is made to live and rule as a first class chief and chairman of all FCT chiefs, and the Sultan remains the respected leader of the Muslim faithfuls.

We all came to the conclusion in my group that the neglect is simply because the FCT has neither a governor nor a mayor who will come to the chiefs for endorsements during elections, but Ministers who are indigenes of other states and who apparently careless about the wellbeing or the traditional institutions of the FCT indigenes.

In conclusion, traditional institutions are very vital in governance and security of any place including the FCT. I therefore call the attention of the Federal Government through the Federal Capital Development Authority to this embarrassing situation based on Section 1(3) and Sections 3-4 of the FCT Act. I wish the Ona and Wanguwan of Abaji long life of peace and prosperous reign.

Hussaini Hussaini is legal practitioner.