Celebrating 40 Years Custodianship of Eggon Nation

The Eggon people of Nasarawa State recently celebrated their royal father, HRH Dr. Bala Abaine Angbazo, as he marked 40 years on the throne of Eggon Nation, reports Igbawase Ukumba

On July 11, 1981, Dr Bala Abaine Angbazo was selected to occupy the exalted stool of Aren Eggon by 22 kingmakers. The stool became vacant following the death of Alhaji Abdullahi Idde, his predecessor, on May 6, 1981. On July 30, 1981, the executive governor of the then Plateau State, late Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, gave official approval to the selection of Bala Angbazo as the paramount ruler of the Eggon people.

It was only fitting that on July 11, 2021, the Eggon people and their well wishers witnessed their traditional ruler, HRH Dr Bala Abaine Angbazo clock 40 years on the throne of his ancestors.

Consequently, the Aren Eggon’s Palace at Nassarawa Eggon town in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State was filled to capacity on that day as people travelled from far and near to the traditional home of the Eggon nation to celebrate the Aren Eggon’s 40th anniversary.

Speaking at the event, the Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd), thanked God for sparing their lives to see that day; the 40th anniversary of the Aren Eggon, Bala Abaine Angbazo, on the throne of the Eggon nation.

According to him, “I was privileged to witness when Baba (Bala Angbazo) was installed as the Aren Eggon 40 years ago, because when Baba (Bala Angbazo) was chairman of the then Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) in Keffi, my own biological father; was his very close friend and associate, chairman of the NPP in Lafia. Because of that relationship, I became very close to Baba (Bala Angbazo).

“Each time my father was to visit the Aren Eggon, I came along with him, over 40 years. And that time I had already graduated, I had already passed through the law school. But my father will insist each time he visited the Aren Eggon, I must be there. Baba embraced us like he did to James and the others of his children. We pray God to give him long life so that we will continue to benefit from his wisdom and experience.”

For the senator representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, it was a congratulations to one of the longest serving traditional rulers in Nasarawa State and one of the longest living true citizen of Nasarawa State, Bala Angbazo; the Aren Eggon.

Al-Makura said he wanted to “congratulate the Aren Eggon on his 40th anniversary and by the special grace of God, to celebrate with the royal father, and also to recognise him and appreciate him for what he has done to humanity. Al-Makura’s thought was that the day was an opportunity to extol the qualities of a good leader and qualities of citizenship that the royal father has attained over his 80 years on earth.

Al-Makura, who is the immediate past governor of Nasarawa State said: “His Royal Highness, the Aren Eggon, has been a frontliner in bringing about development in different facets of life not only in Nasarawa State, but in the former Benue-Plateau State, in the former Plateau State and now Nasarawa State.

h”The Aren Eggon has paid his dues in terms of commercial activities by expanding the scope of business across the state right from when he started in Keffi to when he reached his optimum when we were in Plateau State. He also contributed to the physical development of Nasarawa State by being one of the best contractors Plateau State has ever had.”

“Aren Eggon has also tremendously promoted educational development in Nasarawa State by establishing a school that many citizens, not only of Eggon land but beyond, have benefited. And what is more, His Royal Highness has contributed to the development of politics; politics without bitterness, politics with a focus, politics with a vision which some of us who were in NPN then had very special respect to the Aren Eggon.”

Not only that, Senator Al-Makura continued that he was privileged in his growing years to be part of an entourage in which His Royal Highness led with other leaders of Plateau State to go and organise the first trade fair of Nasarawa State. He explained that that was way back in 1982.

“The Aren Eggon was one of the leaders that led us across the world from London to America, Japan, Korea and Taiwan to organise the first trade fair that Plateau State would ever remember as one of the best outings the state has ever had.

“On this note, I want to associate myself with the earlier speakers who have extolled the good qualities of the Aren Eggon, and also pray for his good health, wisdom and also pray for his domain that may the Almighty continue to give peace and stability in Eggon land and in Nasarawa State,” Al-Makura prayed.

“For the 40 years Bala Angbazo has been on the throne of his ancestors, he remains grateful to God for the respect accorded to him by his people. Very importantly, is the peace prevailing over the Eggon nation,” these were the words of chairman of the event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Aren Eggon, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

Senator Adamu, who was the first executive governor of Nasarawa State, said God called Bala Angbazo to be the platform for the peace and unity being enjoyed in the Eggon nation. However, he said there was bound to be little skirmishes here and there occasionally which is not peculiar to any group. He however said when such arises, the Aren Eggon and the Eggon people would not allow it to fester too long.

Abdullahi Adamu, who is the senator representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, added: “One of the greatest calls he (Aren Eggon) often makes and to which the people have heeded and have been acting on is the call to send children to school. In the last 40 years, the Eggon have recorded giant strides in the educational attainment. He (Aren Eggon) is often happy about the feat the Eggon people have been recording in different fields of education.

“In the last 40 years, the Aren Eggon has championed peaceful and cordial neighbourliness between his people and their neighbours. To God be the glory, the Eggons are found in every local government in the state as farmers. Therefore, every ethnic group in Nasarawa State is a neighbour to Eggon people, and his (Aren Eggon) message always is that the Eggon people must embrace peace at all times. Thank God they have heeded to the call and this has paid off very well.”

Senator Adamu, who is the Turakin Keffi, stated further that the Eggon community had had its sad moments which is natural and human as within the past 40 years, the Aren Eggon experienced a few hiccups. Adamu continued that one of Aren Eggon’s saddest moments in the past 40 years, precisely in 2007, “was when devil planted the seed of bitterness in some few disgruntled youths to set fire on their traditional ruler’s palace which destroyed quite some valuables. So much historical documents were lost in that fire.”

“The Ombatse saga was indeed a terrible nightmare to the Aren Eggon. It is a development he prayed would never occurred again. The palace was overwhelmed during the period it lasted right through the panels of inquiry.”

Nevertheless, the Turakin Keffi stated that the only directive that the Aren Eggon issued to his people which had been kept in the bridge was the bride price he pegged at not more than N15,000; the educational or social standing of the girl not withstanding.

“The issue has been of great concern to him (the Aren Eggon) because it is not giving a good image to the people. Aren Eggon however believes that his people will soon respond to that directive and act appropriately,” Senator Adamu maintained.

Perhaps, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State was one of the happiest person on that day to learn much how much the Aren Eggon has touched the lives of many, adding that the Aren Eggon also touched his life too.

According to Sule, “my father didn’t meet him (Aren Eggon) in the area of politics. My father has been a friend to him in the area of carrying out their contracts. I have the opportunity to see one thing that he had done for my father. The very first brand new 404 Peugeot that my father drove, he was the person that bought it for him. And that is one thing that I have never forgotten. And that is why time and again I used the opportunity when I was passing by to stop and see him, and everytime we remember the good old periods of that time.

“Unlike our father the Emir of Lafia, my father was in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), but they were the best of friends even though he was in the NPP. One of the greatest thing Baba (Aren Eggon) has done to me today is changing my tittle from “Alaku” to “Madauci”. What a wonderful tittle to give me on a day like this. The only day I received this kind of emotional tittle was in Kwandare when I was been made and given tittle the same time with the man I so much love, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, being the “Sardauna”.

“I pray that God will continue to unite people of the state. We must be united. We must continue to respect each other. We must have peace for one another. There is time for everything; there is time for politics, there is time for governance. This is the time for governance, let us keep politics aside and let us continue to embrace the unity of this state, and the development of this state.”

Sule said Nasarawa is a state with great potentials, with talented people and they must be able to utilise all the available resources they have to develop the state. He therefore called on people of the state, especially in Nasarawa Eggon, to come together and embrace peace.

“I want to congratulate my brother, Danladi Envulanza, who was mentioned here that he is single handedly renovating the Aren Eggon’s Palace. And it will be a great honour for me to come and commission this palace,” he concluded.

The celebrant, HRH Dr Bala Abaine Angbazo, said the last time he did an occasion like this was in 2009, adding that on July 11, 2021 was the next time he was doing it. He prayed for long life on earth to enable him turban the Madaucin Eggon himself.

According to him, “the day Governor Sule will commission the renovated Aren Eggon’s Palace, will be the day that I will turban him as the Madaucin Eggon.”