From Shuaibu Zubair Tatu, Birnin Kebbi
Retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammad Sani-Sami, Sami Gomo II, Emir of Zuru in Kebbi, has appealed to the state government to fulfil its pledge of constructing tourists attraction sites in the emirate.
The Emir made the plea while addressing journalists in his palace in Zuru, Zuru Local Government Area of Kebbi yesterday
The briefing was part of activities line up for 2025 Uhola Cultural Festival slated for 15, 16 and 17 of May.
Uhola is an annual cultural festival that showcases the rich culture and tradition of Zuru Emirate featuring agricultural show, traditional boxing and car race among others.
Sani-Sami said the call for establishment of the sites became imperative in view of its cultural and socio-economic importance not only to Zuru emirate but to Kebbi and Nigeria at large.
According to him, Zuru Emirate has many tourists attraction sites that if properly harnessed will boost the revenue base of the state.
The emir said on their own part, tourists’ attraction sites were developed to add more colour and attract more people to the celebration.
He listed the sites to include; a shrine called ‘Girmace’ where crocodiles live in a pond, a slave market at Isgogo village, ‘Bololo’ water falls and ‘Karishe’ hill, where Bokinafaso people used to visit among other places.
“These crocodiles have been in the pond for many years since before we were born. Around the pond we have priests, who stay with them and receive visitors from all over the world, the local communities believe in it,” he said.
Sani-Sami recalled that Uhola festival was formally being celebrated separately and locally by individual communities across Zuru land to appreciate God Almighty for successful harvest.
“With time, we decided that we should make it bigger, larger, and more important for our visitors.
“This festival is normally celebrated after harvest in our communities purposely to thank God Almighty for the bumper harvest and for giving us health and prosperity and showing us the day.
“It’s the decision of the Emirate Council that we should find out the end of all other celebration of Uhola in all the small communities at ward, village, district, chiefdom and state levels, to see when the last community ends its Uhola, so as to organise a bigger Uhola.
“This is where the idea of coming up with the general Uhola came up, comprising all the communities in Zuru Emirate,” he said.
This, he said, they have been doing over a period of time and it had been growing bigger and bigger every year, “with more innovation and more people coming in every year”.
The monarch lauded Gov. Nasir Idris for re-awarding Koko-Dabai road contract to three different companies for speedy completion.
He also hailed the governor for playing a critical role in curbing the menace of insecurity in the area which facilitated the return of many communities to their ancestral homes and to their farmlands.
On his part, the Chairman, Central Working Committee and former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), retired Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, clarified that Uhola celebration had nothing to do with religion, adding g that it was purely a cultural festival bringing sons and daughters of the area together.
Bamaiyi assured the readiness of zuru people to organise an improved Uhola with new innovation and encouraged more visitors to be part of it.
The ex-COAS appreciated the state governor for series of projects spread across the state and urged him to sustain the tempo for the good of the state.
