Peaceful Environment Attracts Investors – Usman Nga-Kupi

His Royal Highness, Alhaji (Dr.) Usman Nga-Kupi, the Sa’peyi of Garki District, in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, Nigeria; in a chat with Supremacy Magazine editors spoke about his chiefdom and the state of the nation. Excerpts:

As the traditional ruler whose territory most of the Federal Government institutions and the Federal Capital Development Authority situate, what is your relationship with the Government in terms of Security and good Governance?
Like you rightly stated, you cannot talk about Nigeria without mentioning Abuja-Garki otherwise it will be incomplete. Really, Abuja accommodates the Central Government, i.e. the Executive, the Legislators and the Judiciary, even all the traditional communities that are residing in the FCT. With my cabinet, we have been able to be managing our domain very well. As you are aware, there is no ethnic group in Nigeria that does not live within my kingdom with their diverse culture, norms and values. The chiefdom has almost 85 districts and about 45 district heads plus-ethnic groups and ethnic community leaders. Consequently, they also serve as eyes and ears to the Kingdom, so the security aspect has been cordial and we have been working hand in hand with the security agencies; the police in particular and the SSS, DNI personnel, including religious leaders harmoniously, to see how we can manage the people. We have been able to have a maximum output in the area of security.

How can the traditional rulers play a significant role in curbing insurgency and herdsmen/farmers clashes in the country?
Before I respond to that question, I want to first of all draw the attention of all Nigerians to the fact that we are brothers and sisters in the first place and that we have co-existed from time immemorial without any rancor. Let us agree with ourselves as Nigerians. Secondly we should agree that the country belongs to all of us. The most important thing is for all of us to join hands and see that peace returns to this country. Most of these challenges I can say are man-made, we created the problems for ourselves because if we agree that all of us are Nigerians, we should not let our personal interest to over ride the National Interest. Whatever you are, Police, Army, Civilian, Traditional ruler, etc, let us put the country first. This problem is not a one man show that President Muhamadu Buhari should solve alone. Neither the police nor the army should be left to manage the situation alone. We should all join hands together to solve the problem collectively. What am I saying in essence, some of these problems are created by us. Our founding fathers, Great Zik, Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa and Ahmadu Bello took this country as their personal property and they protected it to the core, so why can’t we do the same? When the country was carved out as Nigeria, we were living together with the Fulani, the farmers; the herdsmen were working together; guns were not used, what we know of a Fulani man is that they only carry sticks or a knife, that’s all. But today I am asking the question, how did the Fulani man get the money to buy AK 47 rifles, is it the typical Fulani man that will carry thousands of naira if not millions to buy arms? That is why I am saying that those in the position of leadership should come together and end this carnage. Nigeria as the giant of Africa, if we cannot agree to live together peacefully, we should be ashamed of ourselves. We should not destroy the legacy our forefathers left behind. I know that any responsible Nigerian citizen will feel the same as I do. Take note, posterity will never forgive us if we fail this country and not leave them a good legacy. So what I am trying to say now is that we traditional rulers should call the herdsmen that we have been living together with and the farmers also, to tell them that we should continue living together as brothers and sisters, the way we have been living. We should call our herdsmen and advise them not to let some people deceive them by giving them AK 47 to kill their neighbors and destroy lives and properties. It doesn’t pay at all. I believe that it is those who don’t want Nigeria to remain as one are fawning the embers of disunity. They seize this opportunity to import some unscrupulous people to destabilize Nigeria.