This is Birnin Kebbi
By MAURICE ARCHIBONG
Thursday, October 20, 2005
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Kofar Sabuwa: One of Birnin Kebbi’s city gates.
PHOTOS: MAURICE ARCHIBONG
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Almost a decade ago, on January 22, 1996 to be precise, I
had set out to explore some parts of Kebbi State. Since the
towns of Argungu and Birnin Kebbi, capital of Kebbi State,
were already well-known, I deliberately added relatively obscure
settlements like Koko, Yauri, Bunza, Kamba, Dole Kaina and
Kaoje to my destinations.
Coming via Kontagora in Niger State, I could have spared myself
much stress by easily travelling to Koko through Yauri. But
who says even stress can’t be fun, when you’re
out adventure-hunting. The fare, travelling directly to Koko
was N160, those days. But, if you hopped to Yauri from Kontagora
at N80 and moved on to Koko from Yauri at N60, the total fare
came to N140.
Why go through so much trouble just to save N20? Well, it
wasn’t so much about the money as going out to really
know your country. The more settlements I touched, the better
I’d feel, I had thought. And so it turned out to be.
Nonetheless, N20 was also a lot of money ten years ago. For
example, a 25 cl volume of Coca-cola cost N12 in Yelwa-Yauri
in January 1996. Moreover, N20 paid for tummy-filling lunch
at Sherifatu’s buka inside the Yelwa motor park, those
days. Who could forget Sherifatu?
Her fluency in the Hausa language almost misled me into taking
the Yoruba woman for a Malami. But this is not the only reason
I could not forget Aunty Sheri: Her large balls of pounded
yam cost a paltry N5 each. And even if you hadn’t eaten
for days, you couldn’t finish four. I settled for two,
and still couldn’t "clear" N10 worth of Sherifatu’s
iyan. My lunch came to N20 because I also bought a huge chunk
of mutton for N10. Truly, those were better days in Nigeria!
I wasn’t really surprised at how cheap meat was in Kebbi,
for in Koko and many other settlements across this state,
sheep, goats, cattle and even beasts of burden like donkeys,
camels and so on, virtually contest the right of way with
humans inside the motorpark. Aside the plenitude of animals,
the garage grounds were also littered with sugar cane peels
and other refuse.
All around, I could see many people pushing wheelbarrows in
different directions. Many of these carts were overladen with
large bags of detergents and sundry wares. Some of the wheelbarrows
were being rolled in the direction of buses bound for the
Nigeria-Niger frontier town of Kamba. I also saw many young
girls hawking loaves of bread as well as dozens of men perched
precariously atop a lorry bearing the inscription, Goods only.
Able to see clearly now, after lunch, I looked around Koko
garage and noticed that blocks of shops bordered all four
sides of its rectangular confines. A block housing auto spares’
shops stood between the garage’s entrance and outlet.
From some of these stores, I could hear my Igbo brothers speaking
their lingo. To the left, on entering this motor park, I had
sighted a row of ile-onje (bukas) run by my Yoruba sisters.
In fact, it was the spicy aroma rising from the simmering
pots of obe-ata (stew/sauce) in the surrounding outdoor kitchens
that drew my attention to Sheri’s buka, in the first
place. On my way to the motor park’s exit, I stopped
by the stall of a mai-goro, and had to cough out N10 for a
small-size kolanut: Food might be cheap across Kebbi, but
goro sure seems like a luxury here, I mused.
Soon, I was out of the motor park and sauntering through adjacent
streets soaking in the ambience before going to secure a place
to pass the night. That done, I hit town for photography.
Skirting over Kebbi in January 1996, we once came upon a long
line of fallen electricity cables bordering the road between
Suru and Dondi local government areas. Further down this avenue,
we hit a maraba (junction), where the driver turned left;
taking us to Kamba. Almost ten years ago, when we went out
to savour the allurements of Kebbi, the trip took us as far
as Majia, where then Nigerian government and their Benin Republic
counterpart had set up a special committee to look into border
issues concerning this cotton-rich frontier area. To get to
Majia, we had travelled to Dole Kaina, Lolo and Maje. There
had been a boat ride along the way, but I can’t exactly
recall where we crossed a river, now. However, my logbook
reveals I paid N60 to get to Dole Kaina from Kamba. From the
latter, I had spent another N30 to reach Ka’oje, where
I was lucky to meet Shehu Ka’oje, a former press secretary
to Nigeria’s late Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa. Alhaji Kaoje also served as Chief Press Secretary
to the late Governor of old Sokoto State, Alhaji Shehu Kangiwa.
After a brief stop at the residence of Shehu Kaoje, I had
moved on to Gbagudo, at a fare of N30, before returning to
Koko.
Latest tour
Recently, I decided to retrace my steps, though not every
kilometer of the way, to Kebbi. Unlike the route of my 1996
trip, when I travelled from Lagos through Ibadan, Ilorin,
Jebba and Kontagora to the Kebbi lands, I rerouted my itinerary,
this time, to take me from Lagos into the Benin Republic economic
centre of Cotonou and then travelled all the way inside Benin
to one of the northernmost tips of that neighbouring country
and then re-entered Nigeria via the Niger Republic town of
Gaya. It was from the Beninese town of Malanville that I later
made my way to Kamba in Nigeria’s Land of Equity. Travelling
from Malanville to Kamba took less than an hour. A substantial
part of that journey was across the bumpy, non-asphalted Sabo
Birnin to Tusun Djado Road, which seemed to worsen as we got
nearer to Kamba in Nigeria. At Kamba, we met the frontier
post almost unchanged after a decade. A quick look-in at the
offices of the various security agencies yielded no information
as each person we spoke to referred us to the zonal office,
either in Sokoto or Birnin Kebbi. Since Sokoto lies almost
four hours away, we settled on going to Birnin Kebbi, first.
Inside Birnin Kebbi
Welcome to Birnin Kebbi. This is a loaded city, and you can
glean this from the town’s multiple roles. Presently,
Birnin Kebbi town is not only Capital of Kebbi State; the
ancient city also doubles as headquarters of Birnin Kebbi
Local Government Council, aside serving as headquarters of
Gwandu Emirate or seat of the local Emir. Birnin Kebbi LGA
is one of the 21 local government units that make up Kebbi
State. Thus far, our visits to Kebbi have taken us to over
ten LGAs, including Birnin Kebbi. The other LGAs that we’ve
toured are Aliero, Argungu, Bunza, Gwandu, Jega, Kalgo and
Koko/Besse.
Historical sources say Birnin Kebbi was founded, many centuries
ago by members of the Kabawa ethnic group. Over some centuries,
the settlement evolved into a major commercial centre. Later,
Birnin Kebbi was adopted as the administrative headquarters
of the Kabawa dynasty, a status it maintained, until the 18th
century Fulani Jihad, led by Shehu Usman Dan Fodio.
The Jihadists’ capture of Birnin Kebbi forced the Kabawa
to flee northeast to the present location of Argungu, which
consequently became the Kabawa’s new capital. Interestingly,
it was from Gwandu, another Kebbi town, that the Jihadist
operated and subsequently subdued other western territories.
Later, the Jihadist relocated their seat of government from
Gwandu to Ambursa, a new settlement some kilometres from Birnin
Kebbi. However, Birnin Kebbi was to stage a resurgence, when
it was restored as the administrative headquarters of the
Gwandu Emirate, following the creation of Emirates after the
arrival of the British colonial authorities.
Birnin Kebbi comprises three distinct units: The Old Town,
Nassarawa and the Government Reservation Area (GRA). Birnin
Kebbi’s Old Town consists of smaller, though densely
populated, units such as Tudun Wada, Takalafiya, Yar-yara
Gama-gira, Kofar-Kola Dandi, Illela Yari, Makera Gandu and
Baiti. Notable sights in these areas include Ubandoma’s
residence, two Jumu'at mosques, the Birnin Kebbi Prison Yard,
Local Government Secretariat and Kebbi Urban Development Authority
(KUDA) offices.
Nassarawa, which holds principally, Kofar Fada, Junju, Unguwar
Zabarmawa, Rafin Atiku and Badariya, is a latter-day settlement.
This is implicit in this quarter’s other epithet, Sabon
Gari (New Town). Abdullahi Fodio’s Palace, a hospital,
government offices and a number of other important landmarks
dot Nassarawa, which also boasts a main market.
Birnin Kebbi’s GRA is where colonial-era whites lived
in this part of Kebbi State. This is why the GRA was established
in the first place. To date, the State Government House, Government
Lodge and residential quarters of top brass civil servants
and private industry fat cats all stand in Birnin Kebbi’s
GRA.
Aside these three old parts of town, Birnin Kebbi features
a sprawling private property called Gesse Estate, a new development
with over 300 housing units. Gesse Estate, which holds the
Legislators' Quarters and the local Ministry of Women Affairs,
was probably inspired by the biting scarcity of accommodation
after Kebbi was created in 1991. The Kebbi State capital also
includes an estate called D-Gs Quarters as well as Gwadangaji
Quarters, apparently rehabilitated from the ruins of an abandoned
estate comprising 110 housing units. The foundations of Gwandangaji
Quarters were laid between 1979 and 1983, during the Alhaji
Shehu Shagari Presidency. The project, like many of its type
across the country, was left uncompleted for decades until
the Kebbi government modified its plans and finished the buildings
for its civil servants’ accommodation.
Kebbi’s inhabitants
Being an ancient metropolis, Birnin Kebbi’s population
attracted its share of non-aborigines a long time ago. Following
its adoption as Kebbi State capital, it was only to be expected
that Birnin Kebbi would further blossom as a melting pot of
diverse ethnic groups. Apart from members of all the ethnic
groups found in Kebbi State, such as Dankarkari from Zuru
area, Gungawa and Kambari from Yauri, Dandawa from Illo area,
Fulani from Ka'oje, Dakin Gari and Bunza areas and Kabawa,
Zabarmawa from Gwandu and Argungu Emirates, among others,
Birnin Kebbi is also home to countless Nigerians from other
states.
Walking along many parts of Birnin Kebbi, we heard people
speaking Yoruba and Igbo. Although some Hausa-Fulani are members
of this city’s ruling class, many of the Hausa-speaking
inhabitants of Birnin Kebbi are actually Nupe, Kanuri or from
many parts of the old Northern Region. Fortunately, the charitable
and mature stance of Kebbi’s natural and political leaders,
has fostered peaceful co-existence among the state’s
heterogeneous inhabitants.
The climate
Outside the rainy season, which starts around May/June and
lasts till the end of October every year, Birnin Kebbi could
pose a challenge for the visitor from cooler climes. A government
source admits that "The remaining months are generally
hot and dry" and "Owing to its geographical location,
Birnin Kebbi enjoys tropical-type climatic conditions characterized
by very hot weather…" The town’s temperature
is often in excess of 32 degrees Celsius.
Moreover, during "the months of November and December
(sometimes extending up to January ending), the area comes
under the influence of the North-East trade winds, generally
referred to as the Harmattan. The winds are dry and extremely
cold, dust-laden with heavy fog", according to Kebbi
State Government sources.
Road network
Apart from the poor state of road coming from the border town
of Kamba, which stands on the fringes of Niger Republic, Birnin
Kebbi and other major towns in Kebbi State have some of Nigeria’s
smoothest road networks. This has come at a huge cost. For
example, as at 2002, Kebbi State Government had spent a total
of roughly N14, 7 million on the provision of streetlight
along various roads in the state capital, alone.
Furthermore, the state’s technical hands have also been
profitably engaged as direct labour in the construction and
maintenance of urban roads. From the state of this town’s
avenues, it is easy to agree that relevant local agencies
have been carrying out maintenance work on township roads.
Moreover, to maintain a clean environment and to enhance the
sanitary condition of the town, Kebbi Urban Development Authority
(KUDA) three years ago procured 25 mini-trucks for street
sweeping and 20 skip metal tanks, aside building an additional
40 refuse bunkers and the repair of 59 old refuse dumps.
Hotels/Lodges in Kebbi
Although the local hotels’ quality and standard depend
on the urban level of each settlement, Kebbi State generally
boasts several hotels and inns in its major towns. As a result,
visitors to this northwestern state are assured of availability
of paid accommodation most times. Birnin Kebbi’s leading
hotels include Shagalinku Hotel, Modiyawa Guest Inn, Safari
Guest Inn, Catering Rest House, Channel One Hotel and Gesse
in the Rafin Atiku part of town. I spent my four days in Birnin
Kebbi in two hotels. The first two nights cost me N7, 200
at N3, 600 per day in a standard room at Shagalinku, while
I spent a night in a room at Gesse at N2, 800. For those that
prefer up-scale lodges, Shagalinku boasts double and executive
suites as well as a royal suite, which comes at the suggestive
price of N13, 800, according to Mr. Aminu Yusuf Yebo, an accountant
at this outfit which was launched in 1999.
In the fishing festival town of Argungu, the traveller could
start the search for accommodation at Grand Fishing Hotel
or Fishing Village Resort; while Catering Rest House, Madonna
Hotel and Annex, Hilltop Hotel and Tourist Lodge should do
in Yauri. If you’re heading in the direction of Zuru,
then try Dam Site Hotel, Catering Rest House or Uhola Guest
Inn.
Other attractions
Argungu festival might be the leading tourist attraction in
Kebbi State but it is certainly not the only one worth savouring.
Other festivals in Kebbi State include Uhola, a harvest season
observance by the Dakarkari people. Kebbi also offers a number
of tour sites, such as the Tomb of the late Sheikh Abdulahi
of Gwandu. Sheikh Abdulahi was a famous scholar and brother
of the Jihadist Usman Dan Fodio. Another site is the Girmace
Shrine in Gwandu, a battlefield of the Jihad wars.
Kebbi briefly
Kebbi is one of the northern states, where the Islamic penal
code, Sharia, was more or less reintroduced after Nigeria’s
return to democracy in 1999. Thus, local hotels do not serve
alcoholic beverages. It is difficult to say whether or not
this has had an adverse impact on the local tourism industry.
However, across Kebbi State, the population appears scanty,
in spite of improving state of amenities. Although cybercafes
are commonplace in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital still needs
a few things. For example, there’s only one newsstand
in this town, and during our latest visit in August this year,
MTN was like a king of the little-explored GSM world here.
To worsen matters, Kamba is virtually cut off from the world
in a manner of speaking. Workers in this frontier town frequently
have to cross into neighbouring Niger Republic just to make
a phone call. We gathered that the telephone tarrif of Niger
Republic’s GSM network, called Celtel, is very exorbitant.
In Kamba, I looked around for a member of the national youth
service, but was told this was like searching for a needle
in a haystack. Corpers avoid some parts of Kebbi because local
landlords would not quarter a bachelor or spinster. Now, you
see why some workers deployed to Kamba see such posting as
punitive. Furthermore, Birnin Kebbi has no NTA station, we
were told. Albeit, Kebbi State throws up some vernal sides,
too; this is one state capital, where the tourist won’t
suffer any frustration arising from traffic jams.
Kebbi was one of the nine states created in August 1991. Ever
since, the ancient town of Birnin (City of) Kebbi, which was
chosen as the capital city of the new state, has not been
the same. The previously under-developed Birnin Kebbi that
groaned under the shadow of Sokoto, capital of the state of
that same name from which Kebbi was carved, assumed new role
of the state capital.
In those early days, however, there was really little to show,
in terms of infrastructure that Birnin Kebbi was the administrative
seat of the state government. But this began to change with
the influx of people, especially civil servants, redeployed
from the old Sokoto State, to Birnin Kebbi. This population
surge meant that demands grew for goods and services, bringing
about an urgent need to expand existing facilities and infrastructure.
In terms of space, inadequacies were seriously experienced
in the areas of office and residential accommodations. Suddenly,
water and electricity supplies proved acutely inadequate.
As if these were not enough, the old narrow roads that criss-crossed
Birnin Kebbi became a serious problem for the rapid surge
in the volume of traffic.
The enormity of Birnin Kebbi’s infrastructural inadequacies
called for an urgent up-grading. Fortunately, successive Kebbi
governments have been rising to the occasion. The establishment
of Kebbi’s Urban Development Authority, a body saddled
with the responsibility for the provision of basic utilities,
and services in the three principal towns of Argungu, Yauri
and Zuru, vide Edict No.2 of 1991 is a veritable pointer to
the desire of Kebbi’s rulers to transform the state.
And through the years, the Governor Muhammadu Aliero-led administration
appears to have been living up to expectation. Whatever her
warts, Kebbi is a most-inviting destination because it is
almost crime-free.
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