How Niger govt demystified Zuma Rock

updated: Wednesday 25-06-2008

Governor Aliyu and members of his cabinet
during their expeditionIn this piece, Dipo Laleye recounts the recent breakthrough of the Niger State government in demystifying the Zuma Rock that had hitherto been perceived to harbour evil spirits, concluding that the plans to turn it into a tourist site is laudable.

FOR decades the Zuma rock had been dreaded by many Nigerians because of its imposing nature and the cultural beliefs associated with it. The rock, located in Niger State, specifically along the Abuja-Kaduna road, has a shape that looks like a human face. This feature, therefore, creates fears in the minds of the people and resulted in the ancient belief that the rock has supernatural powers.

Nobody dared to risk climbing the rock for fear of being stricken down by its powers. The ancient people of Suleja, therefore, turned the rock into a god which they worship on regular basis.

Initially, human beings, especially beautiful virgins were used as sacrifice to the gods of the Zuma rock. But with the arrival of Islam which preached against all forms of idol worshiping, the people changed the practice and the priests started using cows for sacrifice.

Even that has now stopped as the traditionalists have all embraced Islam or Christianity and appreciate that rivers, mountains, valleys and other things living or non-living created by God are are inferior to man.

The ownership of the Zuma rock, apparently because of its untapped economic potentials, had been a cause of friction between the Niger State government and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had inscribed the rock on one of the national currencies. The dispute was resolved in favour of the Niger state government after the CBN apologised for the error.

Earlier, the Niger State government had attempted to turn the Zuma rock and its surroundings into a tourist haven, but the plan by he previous administrations in the state collapsed like a pack of cards. Even the Zuma rock hotel which construction was started during the military regime is yet to be completed and so are the hundreds of housing units being constructed within the vicinity of the rock started during the tenure of former Governor Abdulkhadir Kure are still begging for completion.

Determined to break the jinx surrounding the Zuma rock and also desperate to turn it into a money-spinning venture, the new government in the state has been exploring avenues to ensure that the rock begins to attract the attention of Nigerians and the international community.

The first effort is to break the jinx that anybody who climbs the rock will not live to tell the story. This, the government achieved by bringing in some mountain climbers from the United Sates of America in March. The climbers climbed the Zuma rock and they have continued to live till today.

It was, however, a recent event which saw the state governor, Dr. Muazu Aliyu, personally climbing the rock, an action that finally demystified it. The governor, who was accompanied by members of the state executive council and members of the diplomatic corps as well as the Niger State Commissioner of Police, Sir Paul Iseghohi, landed on the top of Zuma rock in a helicopter.

The helicopter with registration number 5N B/CA, belonging to OAS Travels, made at least 20 trips to the mountain top and on each trip conveyed four passengers. Another helicopter, which belonged to the police, hovered around the area, providing security to the dignitaries.

Emirs of Minna, Dr. Umar Bahago; Kontagora, Alhaji Saidu Namaska; Lapai, Alahji Umaru Bago; Agaie, Alhaji Mohammadu Kudu; and Kagara, Alhaji Salihu Tanko, were all in attendance at this epoch-making event, though they did not climb the rock.

Zuma rock is 725 metres high and from reports by those who went to its top, it has normal green grass and is undulating. From the top of the Zuma rock it is also possible to see very far into Abuja and Suleja towns. The first assignment of the governor on the rock was to hoist both the national and Niger State flags at its peak.

One event which is likely to turn around the fortunes of the state and it people and which took place on top of the rock was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Niger State government and an American firm. The agreement, signed for the government by the Commissioner for Commerce, Alhaji Umar Nasko, was for the construction of a water fall from the top of the rock to the lake below, development of an African village and a restaurant which would serve as accommodation and eating place for tourists visiting not only Niger State, but also the FCT. There was also an agreement on the construction of an amusement park for children. The projects, which will be executed in phases, will span over eight years with a total cost of $700 million involved.

Zuma RockUnder the agreement, the Niger State government will provide only the infrastructures, while Texas Pacific, the American company handling the project, will provide all the funds. On completion, the entire project will provide employment for not less than 1,000 people. Alhaji Nasko, after signing the agreement, said “history has protected this rock for us. The project will be one of the best in the world.”

He added that the same Texas Pacific would construct an ultra modern hotel in Minna, the Niger State capital. The Emir of Suleja, Malam Mohammadu Awal Ibrahim, whose emirate hosts Zuma rock, went down memory lane and recalled that the rock used to be dreaded by the people because of the belief that it was capable of causing harm to people or even terminating lives.

Malam Ibrahim said he was happy that the Niger State government finally conquered the rock and expressed optimisim that the victory over the rock would bring good tidings to the state through increased revenue from tourism and other businesses that would come to the state.

The monarch praised the government for the steps so far taken and pleaded that the project to be sited in the emirate should be monitored to completion so that it did not go the way of similar projects.

Governor Aliyu said he was happy that the Zuma rock was conquered in his time, promising that the administration would not relent in its pursuit of the policy of making the state one of the three best economically developed states in the country.

He asked the people of the state to shun rumour mongering and remain loyal to the administration so that all the laudable programmes and projects planned for execution to improve the condition of the people would come to reality.

With the journey from the Abuja International Airport, just some 20 minutes to Suleja where the Zuma rock is located and with the belief that the government and its private partners will remain faithful to the execution of the MoU, there is no doubt that the state will very soon become a tourist haven with the large number of people that will prefer to escape from the problems in Abuja to stay in a more serene, peaceful and natural environment. The government and its people will also, in no distant time, begin to reap the dividends of the investments.