Eggon Dressing Code: Aren Eggon Reverts To Akli Attire
By Matthew Kuju
The Aren Eggon, His Majesty, the Honourable Justice Ahmed Ubangari Alaku I, OFR, Chief Judge retired, has done what many would describe as setting a new attire in Eggon land by returning to the thick Akli (Eggon) or gwado (Hausa) of yore.
In recent history, the Eggon people popularised the blue cloth material with white, red and green stripes sewn to taste with caps for men and head-ties for women produced from the same material. Each of the colours has its significance.
On Tuesday 16th April 2024, the Aren Eggon, standing at the top balcony of the magnificent new Aren Eggon complex under construction, appeared fully clad in Eggon attire of old, a milk-coloured thick cloth – gwado (in Hausa) or Okli, Akiri or Akili (in Eggon language depending on the dialect), which he flung over the body with black cap to match holding a spear. Upon his appearance, he received momentous ovation from the Eggon people.
The Magajin Garin Nassarawa Eggon, Alhaji Isyaka Abdullahi and the Danburam Eggon, Danladi Halilu Envulu-Anza also wore the same Akli cloth to the venue of the Sallah festivities.
Addressing the crowd on the attire, the Aren Eggon said, “Have you seen the attire on me? The attire I am wearing was what our Eggon forefathers or ancestors used to wear. Our people used it then, and that is why you are seeing it on me today.
“What is left is for us is to make use of it. Anyone who does not agree with this should approach the palace for explanation on why it should not be used.
“We grew up to see our forefathers wearing white Akli attire. Was it not it? May God Almighty help us all and take everyone to his destinations.
“We hope that, during Christmas celebration, we are going to gather in this palace as this for celebration,” the Aren Eggon said.
Referring to the black cap on his head, the Aren further said that, “Have you seen this cap, the one I am wearing? Our Eggon ancestors used to wear the cap before. That is how it was, a black colour cap.
“I saw my father wearing this type of cap. Not that I was just told, I saw him wearing it and that is why I said, I must replicate it.
“It is now left for us to use it or not. May God Almighty help us.
“I wore this to show you as an example of our Cultural attire, the white and black cap because that is what our forefathers were known with.
“We should not allow our cultural practices and norms go into extinction. As we have brought this attire, it is our hope that, everyone will accept it for use.”
Immediately after the occasion, tongues began to wag, asking if the Aren Eggon had come out with a new dress code for the Eggon people to replace the popular blue or black with red, white and green stripes.
Against that backdrop, Eggonnews approached the Aren Eggon, to further shed light and explain the significance of the Akli cloth he wore.
When asked about the significance of the Akli cloth that he wore, the Aren Eggon said:
“Apparently, we have been having some form of dresses in form of attire. The women in Eggon land too have their form of dressing. If you go back a little bit in history, our fore-parents were wearing animal skin, they would tie the animal skin and thereafter, it graduated to the cloth I am wearing. The Eggon call it Akli, in Hausa it is Gwado. And because the Eggon man does not speak very well, he would call it Gbadu.
“Now, being the traditional leader of Eggon nation, I gave it a second thought. I said, let us go back in history a bit. My old grandfather, Osko Mari, lived when I was in primary school around 1958. And having seen his brother, Ikku Mari, because he died before we were born. In Alogani, we would visit him whenever we were on holidays. All along, he was wearing this Akli, and it was white.
“I decided, I said, why don’t we go back to the roots, and bring this back. I have also tried to find out from other sources. I recall, in 1981, when Dr Bala Abaine Angbazo became the traditional ruler of the Eggon nation, there was a particular woman that wore Akli as wrapper. She was by name Zainabu Maga Angba. She hailed from Alogani. She appeared in her small skirt. It was white, and she was holding the smoking pipe known as ashen amba. That was it.
“There was also the cap. Osko Mari wore it too. I am telling you about the one I saw, and it was among all the villages of Eggon land. Several people were wearing the Akli. I stand to be corrected. They were wearing the Akli. That was what our forefathers were wearing long before some of us were born, while Akli.
“My belief is that, why don’t we go back to the roots? We did some little investigation in our villages, and the consensus was that our people were wearing white Akli, which were supplied by traders coming from the far north to Kasuwan Angibi, as it was then called. They would bring Akli. That was how it was called in Eggon. It was not coloured; it was white.
“I then said, well, the younger ones coming should have the benefit of knowing this. Let us therefore go back to the roots. These ones that have come out in the recent past and currently being worn are coloured. This may be because of socialisation, revolution and the like. My belief is that let us trace it to the roots.
“I didn’t tell anybody that I was going to wear this at the end of the Sallah festivities. I decided to throw it to the public. You can go back to the village areas, some of the very old or aged parent are still living who would testify. I am sure we will still get some older ones who give some history of the Akli.
“My intention is very simple, to build history from where it started. That’s the essence of wearing the Akli. The older ones, our ancestors would often wear the Akli along with the cap. Curiously, the cap had a small pocket inside where they would normally keep some of their private things, either tobacco or any other thing that was of secrecy to them. The man would put it inside the pocket of the cap and bend it sideways and it would remain there for as long as the person desired it. That was how it used to prevail.
“I noticed it from my grandfather, Osko Mari. I did my little investigation and the consensus is that our people wore the white Akli. I therefore decided to throw it to the public so that we keep history alive. That was the essence!”
When asked if by his action of wearing the Akli he was calling on other Eggon people to now key into acquiring the Akli vis-a-viz the modern one. The Aren Eggon was quick to respond thus:
“Sure! Sure! That is the essence, because this one is rooted in history. I don’t think they ones people are wearing has any particular reference to historical backing. That is my understanding of it, and in order not to distort our stories…, I am telling a story from a man I knew, and from other fathers that wore Akli. It is simple enough for us to accept this so that after the skin, because I did not live to remember seeing an Eggon man wearing leaves, I only heard that it used to be the case at a point in time, but I know of the skin, which later graduated to the wearing of this Akli. There was also the Bante (a loincloth). It used to be big, which they would wear rolling down, having tied it round one’s waist and cover his remaining body with the Akli. I think that looks more traditional.”
With this Akli, does the Aren Eggon want the modern one to still stay on and be worn or that the people should now take this and discard that one? Without hesitation, the Aren Eggon responded thus:
“Well it is left up to our people, but history cannot be hidden. If my story is true, and which I strongly believe it is, why do we have to throw this one away? I think the message is, like I told the mammoth crowd that gathered at the palace, it is up to us now to use our conscience. If our forefathers were wearing white Akli, let’s go back to it so that we don’t distort history.”
How often would His Highness appear in the Akli?
His answer: “Well, I think it looks more ceremonial, and because it is ceremonial, you cannot be appearing like this often and often, you have a working session, you have a gathering that would involve other people who would not know about this one. I would rather want it to remain as a ceremonial dress on special occasions such as Eggon day. When we have an Eggon day, it used to be in existence. We can revive it, so that all our people can be there. Let us take for instance the Alago people, during the Odu festival, you would see the Andoma of Doma would appear in his traditional dress, but on other normal activities, he would wear the baban riga. Let us keep it with history and with tradition. That is my appeal.”
