The cultural heritages of the people of Machina in the present Yobe state are a source of pride to them as MUSA M. BUBA witnessed the annual festival as captured in this report.
The absence of culture is likened to a tree without its roots. Over the years, many cultures were at the verge of fading away globally either due to the influence of westernisation and religion, among others. In Machina Emirate of Yobe state, however, the case is different as people flow into the state to witness its annual festival known as Machina Cultural Festival (MACUF) because of its unifying factor.
History of Machina
Machina Emirate is the headquarters of Machina Local Government
Area in Yobe and one of the oldest and richest historic emirates in the country that is best known for white horse race popularly called durbar. It is also an emirate where snakes pay homage to the Emir during festivities.
Historical facts had it that a queen gave birth to a set of twins comprising a human being and a snake in the palace. The other twin, being a snake, couldn’t stay long with its mother, therefore, found its way into the rocks behind the Emir’s palace and lived there. Since then, killing of snake was prohibited in that emirate because they are representative of the blood of the emirate, so, they are harmless; it is therefore a common sight for snakes to be seen being fed with milk in the palace with milk. Until this day, any visitor coming to Machina is enlightened that killing of snake is a taboo.
Security
For a decade, Yobe and its neighbouring states of Borno and Adamawa have been in the news for challenges related to insecurity. Surprisingly, the emirate and the whole of the local government have never had any record of Boko Haram attack of any kind. Many attributed this to the efforts being put in place by the Emir in briefing his kinsmen on the importance of having peace and hating the ideologies of the sect, not only in his Emirate but with neigbouring countries of Tchad and Niger with whom they share border from the north. Blueprint investigation reveals that this has helped immensely in maintaining law and order in the area.
The Emir being an educationist, had been providing hospitality to visitors especially corps members posted in the local government in order to encourage them into staying to contribute their quota to the development of the community.
The festival
The Machina Cultural Festival (MACUF) which commenced in 2007 is celebrated annually during Easter period according to the Emir, His
Royal Highness, Bashir Albishir Bukar. The reason for holding the festival that period, according to investigation, is because normally Good Fridays and Easter Mondays are holidays and gives ample time for people to travel from far and near to grace the programmme.
The festival is meant to strengthen the cultural heritage of the people and not allow the tradition to fade. Every district heads comes to the festival with his contingents and horses well dressed in traditional attires. Sons and daughters of Machina also attend with their well-wishers and friends while the executive governor of the state serves as the special guest at the festival.
Some of the activities in the 7seven day long programme include local wrestling competition known as Kukuwa. In the 2019 festival, over 40 participants competed. Before now the crowned champion of the local wrestling was being given a free woman to marry without paying any bride price.
Things are, however, changing as Yahaya Audu Dole who was crowned champion at the 2019 local wrestling was given N100,000 while the second and the third competitors got N70,000 and N50,000, respectively.
Other activities were one leg wrestling, camel and white horse durbar which the emirate is well known for. Investigation shows that it emerged the best performing emirate at the 2016 National Grand Durbar in Abuja. The most interesting thing was that the durbar cuts across all traditional leaders, title holders, among others, whether educated or highly ranked. It is believed that everyone must learn to ride a horse or camel to be regarded as son of the soil.
The conferment of title on former Governor Ibrahim Gaidam by Machina Emirate was for his ability to solve the problem of access road and drinking water.
The governor awarded contract for the construction of the 51 kilometer Nguru-Machina road which was completed and put to use. The second challenge was put to rest government by drilling bore at a far distance of about five kilometers to provide water to the community.
The royal father admitted that for 40 years, there were series of promises made by previous governors of former Borno and the present Yobe states for the construction of the road and provision of drinking water but that could not come dream true until this time around.
It was in this respect, that His Royal Highness, Bukar conferred the traditional title of ‘Shettima Fatihuma of Machina’ on the governor for transforming the area.
Relationship with other countries
Because of its recognition by some international cultural bodies, many participants from Turkey, Benin, Niger and Tchad Republics attended the festival apart from traditional rulers in Nigeria.
President Elhadj Issoufou Mahamadou of Niger Republic had conferred an international merit award of L’ Ordre National du Niger (L’ONN) on the Mai Machina, HRH Bukar in Niamey in recognition of the long peaceful co-existence between the former Kanem Borno and people of Niger which was maintained by the Mai Machina. Issoufou said the award was also to appreciate the royal father and his durbar contingents in attending almost all Niger Republican day which was being celebrated annually on 18th December which the Emir normally attends with 40 horses to promote the cultural festivals in that country.
