Kogi State residents in Kaduna State under the auspices of Niniji Nupe Development Association (NNDA) Kaduna State chapter have appealed to Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo to recognise the Etsu Lokoja title of the native Nupe of Lokoja being the first settlers in Lokoja.
The association also expressed displeasure over recent physical and media attacks by some opposing groups on the Etsu, HRH Emmanuel Akamisoko Dauda Shelika, Nyamkpa IV.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna alongside other officials of the association, the president, Mr Fredrick Nyabam noted that, “The insinuations surrounding the stool of Etsu Lokoja has become worrisome and the need to state the obvious has equally become inevitable especially in the face of the silence of the Kogi State Government even with the assault against the Etsu Lokoja’s Palace wherein his car was burnt beyond repair and the safety of life and property threatened.
“As people of history, we wish to state categorically that Lokoja is not a ‘No Man’s Land’. It was founded before the end of the 1700 by Nyamkpa, alias Cheluka, whom some called Eshida. A Nupe Warrior who migrated with his army and their families from Gbara near Bida in today’s Niger State of Nigeria after the death of his Commander in Chief, Etsu Jimada in 1796.
“We wish to make it abundantly clear that even the name Lokoja is Nupe, arising from a real life incidence that bother on the disappearance of Etsu Nyamkpa’s Oracle – ‘Luko’ and the circumstance that led to the disappearance is the ‘Dza’ and together, it is Luko -a-dza, which ended up being pronounced as Lokoja.
“The community called Lokoja existed as a Nupe community of a specific group of Nupe whose roots were from Gbara. Interestingly as a people, we have played host to the British as well as every other ethnic group that are today resident in our ancient community – Lokoja”
The association also clarified that HRH Emmanuel Akamisoko Dauda Shelika – Nyamkpa IV is the ‘Etsu Lokoja’ having passed through due consultations among the natives whose concern it is, prior to his nomination as the consensus candidate and having satisfied the conditions and fulfilled every traditional process, he was installed the ‘Etsu Lokoja’ by those whose cultural and traditional responsibility it is to do so on the 23rd day of January, 2024 at the traditional site of Lokoja – Mount Pati. A public reenactment of that installation was celebrated by the Native Nupe of Lokoja on the 27th day of July, 2024 still at the same mountain top called Mount Pati, stressing that “He didn’t make himself Etsu Lokoja, we the Native Nupe of Lokoja unanimously made him”.
“Therefore we, the leaders of the Native Nupe of Lokoja resident in Kaduna and our kith and kin all over the world under the name Niniji Nupe Development Association wishes to state that as a people, we are the native Nupe of Lokoja, being the earliest inhabitants of the ancient Community called Lokoja.
“That although the Nupe ancestry is wide and the different shades could be found in Lokoja, only the earliest of them to have inhabited Lokoja are the natives whose responsibility it is to appoint and install the ETSU LOKOJA. That we demand fair, equitable and just treatment as enjoyed by other ethnic groups resident in Lokoja and to be included in the affairs and governance of Lokoja.
“That His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo grant the request of our people for Government recognition and grade the long existing stool of ‘ETSU LOKOJA’, having existed for centuries well ahead of every other stool in Lokoja in order to end the harassment, marginalization and the intimidation of our people by other ethnic groups.
“That enough of harassments and intimidation of our people, the native Nupe of Lokoja (and by whatever other name we are called) as well as of our ETSU LOKOJA – HRH Emmanuel Akamisoko Dauda Shelika – Nyamkpa IV. Our silence, patience and tolerance should not be taken for granted henceforth. Any attack on our Etsu Lokoja is an attack on all of us – the native Nupe of Lokoja wherever we may be found.
“That henceforth, we wish to be seen and treated as a distinct, independent and rational people that has right to Cultural and Traditional self determination without being subjugated under any other and with the right to promote our culture freely without interference from any quarter whether directly or indirectly.
“That we demand justice regarding the unwarranted attack on the premises of the Etsu Lokoja HRH Emmanuel Akamisoko Dauda Shelika – Nyamkpa IV and appealing that our Security Agencies relent not until the perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to book as a deterrent to forestall future reoccurrence”.
The association and its members promised to be peaceful and peace-loving, friendly and accommodating, and law-abiding as always to ensure that the harmonious coexistence among all the residents of Lokoja is sustained since we do not have another to which we can flee as home.
“To this end, we continue to pledge our unalloyed commitment to the administration of His Excellency Alh Ahmed Usman Ododo as a people that are only out to seek the good and wellbeing of our people like all the other ethnic groups,” they added.
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