From Olanrewaju Lawal Birnin Kebbi
The Sarki Ruwa of Gungun Sakachi village, under Yauri Emirate, Alhaji Kasano Sakachi, presented a gift of live hippopotamus, to Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, which he said he and his team capture.
As the Sarkin Ruwa emerged from the river with the wild animal, a crowd went on rampage to catch a glimpse of the live hippopotamus which had been the symbol of Rigata Cultural Festival for over 200 years.
While presenting the animal to the Governor Idris at the closing ceremony of the event, Emir of Yauri, Dr. Muhammad Zayyanu Abdullahi said the animal would be reserved for the governor so that he would be seeing it at anytime.
The ceremony which was also witnessed by Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Alhaji Sanusi Garba, the former Speaker of Zamfara State and the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Idris Muhammad Gobir. Also in attendance was the Emir of Kontagora, and the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu among others.
While welcoming guests, the Secretary to the Kebbi State Government, Alhaji Bala Yakubu Yafida, who is also the national Chairman of 2024 Rigata Cultural Festival, disclosed that the state government had promised to make the festival an annual event.
, stressing that permanent structures would be constructed at the venue of the event.
In his remark, Kebbi State Governor, Dr Idris, promised that the state government would ensure that the Rigata Cultural Festival would be holding annually assuring that the government would also ensure that the venue of the festival was moved to it permanent site next year.
Idris, who commended the Emir of Yauri for uniting the people of the Emirate through the festival, noted that he and many guests who witnessed the event for the first time, had learnt a lot about Yauri Kingdom.
He disclosed that his administration had spent about N1.5billion on the renovation and rehabilitation of schools in Yauri since inception of his administration few months ago with ongoing construction of five kilometers road in Yauri town.
In his remark, Gbajabiamila assured the people of Yauri that the Federal Government would continue to bring developmental projects to the town through HYPPADEC.
He also noted that Rigata cultural festival signifies historical moment of brave warriors of Yauri who were determined to protect their people, economy properties and cultures, stressing that the Federal Government would partner the Kebbi State Government to promote the culture of the state for meaningful development and unity of the state.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu commended the state government and the organisers of the festival for the successful three-day event.