SPOTLIGHT: The Aren Eggon’s Palace Taking A New Shape, Thanks To DHE

DHE: Quietly But Hugely Impacting Lives Positively, Supporting The Government

Says: I’m Not A Philanthropist, But Service To Humanity Is My Driving Force

DHE simply stands for Danladi Halilu Envulu-Anza Esq; OON (Order of the Officer of the Niger). In Nasarawa State, he is better known as CR, having served as a Chief Registrar in the Plateau State Judiciary and the pioneer Chief Registrar in Nasarawa State Judiciary among so many positions and offices he held and occupied in the State and Federal Governments, including the Chief Executive of the National Judicial Council, the Apex Body for the Nation’s Judiciary. This is aside international positions of responsibility DHE held. He is a life honorary member of Commonwealth Magistrate and Judges’ Association.

In the last party primaries for the governorship in Nasarawa State in 2019, DHE was one of the leading aspirants for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Since his return home after meritorious service in government, he has been initiating and executing projects that have direct and positive impact generally, but particularly in his Local Government Area of origin.

For DHE, communities should not continue to wait on government to take development to their domains, because the competing demands for the lean resources at the disposal of government makes it pretty difficult to address every need of every community.

It is against that backdrop that he was moved to engage in developmental projects in his community, Nassarawa Eggon Local Government Area, with the LG Headquarters as the main focus.

It can safely be stated that the biggest project being executed by DHE is the massive construction of the main living hall (Bubban Zaure) that contains modern facilities at the palace of the paramount traditional ruler of Eggon nation, the Aren Eggon located in Nassarawa Eggon.

Eggonnews was informed that the Living hall is modeled after a similar structure for one of the Kings in Europe. However, the one under construction at the Aren Eggon’s palace is an improved version of the one in Europe and is much bigger in size and facilities.

Before embarking on the project, he received the approval and blessing of the Traditional Council through Dangaladima Eggon, Dr James Angbazo.

It should be stated that DHE is a royalist from Lizzin Keffi village area, of Nassarawa Eggon Local Government Area whose Envulu Anzaku Namo family members are the only exclusive royalists to the stool of that village head.

DHE appreciates the significance of the traditional institution and places high premium on it. He holds the revered title of Danburan Eggon, a title he inherited from his father. He is also the Yariman Lizzin Keffi, Jarman Doma, Majen Lafia, Sarkin Yaki Akun and Turakin Koro Kuje.

When he chose to construct a befitting Living edifice for the Aren Eggon, he did not first discuss it with his father, himself holding a revered title of Makaman Eggon. However, one fateful day when the father went to the Palace for a council meeting, he enquired as to who was executing the project. To his pleasant surprise, he was told that it was his son, DHE, who was constructing the edifice.

When he later got home, he asked his son if he was the one executing the Project at the Palace. When the son – DHE – answered in the affirmative, the father said he was most pleased with the project. He encouraged him to accomplish it and said he would die a happy person because of the project. Months later, the father passed on. May his soul rest in peace, Amen!

At the time of going to the press, the work on the magnificent palace building was about 80% completion.

Speaking to Eggonnews, DHE said he has been executing the project all alone. Apart from two trips of sand supplied at the site of the project by Engr Jacob Kudu, nobody has contributed a dime so far for the project.

Part of the reasons he has undertaken the project is because he holds in high esteem the paramount royal throne of the Eggon people. However, the state of the Palace of the Aren Eggon has been a thing of concern to him for long. It was not speaking well of the calibre of the Eggon people!

He was particularly displeased and embarrassed when in 2019, some prominent personalities were at the Palace for the funeral of a prominent politician. There were no good conveniences for the personalities to use. Some of them even taunted the Eggon people that despite their numbers and the high positions they had occupied and are still occupying in Government and private sectors, they do not have a befitting palace.

DHE also recalled when the Chief Servant of Niger State, the former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu lamented over what he saw of Nassarawa Eggon when he came to town for the wedding of the son of his friend, Pharmacist Joel Adagadzu. He (Babangida Aliyu) said he was disappointed with what he saw in Nassarawa Eggon in terms of

development, knowing the calibre of people the Eggon nation is blessed with; given the fact that the Eggon are the most populous, most educated and most industrious in Nasarawa State. It was more of a challenge to the Eggon people to wake up and change the development narrative of Nassarawa Eggon.

It appears DHE decided to pick the gauntlet and has been attempting to change the image of the town for good by embarking on some development in the town to attract socio-economic benefits.

He then decided to focus on phase one of the project in the palace by working on the main Living Hall edifice, being the image of Eggon nation.

Eggonnews was told by the Project Consultant, Arc Solomon Aya Mari that at the initial stage of the work, there were often more than 100 people at the site working day and night under floodlight. Special services of a Togolese Artist among many others have been engaged to work on the façade and other facilities in the edifice.

Speaking further on the project, the Consultant further told Eggonnews:

“The entire structure has a big living hall and other facilities that can accommodate about 1000 people at the same time. There are two offices, a small Conference room, a waiting room that can take care of visitors before going into the royal main hall or any other living room or office. The secretary to the Aren Eggon has an office downstairs. There is a balcony upstairs to be used by the Traditional ruler and his dignitaries.

“The living hall has a double volume. From a lay man’s point of view, the edifice is a storey building.

“In short, the edifice has an entrance foyer, twin multi-purpose mini halls (for Palace guards and visitors), royal Hall/Royal Throne, Royal Offices, Conveniences, Exclusive Royal Stage at the gallery, small conference room and a Veranda.

In order to meet the deadline set by DHE, the Consultants said they have been working frantically on daily basis. The other consultants are Arc Joseph Sule Kigbu, Arc Yunana Abimiku.

DHE recognizes that God has called him to the leadership roles he has been playing over the years. Indeed, no man can truly be a great and successful leader without the recognition and fear of God.

One thing that should be stated is his big-heartedness to people, more especially those in great need. He is compassionate, and his compassion knows no bounds, be it tribe or religion. When a person presents a problem to him, he is not one to merely express concern, but would offer a solution to the problem. Adding value to the lives of people is what he cherishes.

As to the source and strength of his funds, he says God has been and will continue to be the source and provider of his resources.

As to whether he will be able to accomplish the project and would not be abandoned, he smiled and said, time will tell.

DHE has been executing many projects not only in Nassarawa Eggon LGA but also in other parts of the State. However, because of his nature, he insisted that Eggonnews should not feature other projects he has been executing, including the mosques he is building and the churches he has been building, renovating and rehabilitating through his Christian Consultants and friends.

These he has been doing for over 30 years, some of the buildings include the mosque he is building in Nassarawa Eggon and the church he has built in Lizzin Keffi and other places, the latest of which is the roofing of the ERCC Endehu Odne and ERCC Nassarawa Eggon Conference Secretariat through retired Director in the State Ministry of Education, Mr Sunday Eku-ekpa Enna.

Among the numerous mosques DHE either built or renovated, rehabilitated or roofed in different parts of Nasarawa State are the ones in Arugbadu (which he roofed over 20 years ago at instance of the Village Head), Mada Station (the Central on which he did about 90% of the work and Angbashu which was started by the people but DHE completed and roofed) and the Central mosque in Nassarawa Eggon town.

DHE informed Eggonnews that one of the reasons he has been executing projects is in response to the clarion call by his brother the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engineer Abdullahi A. Sule, on illustrious sons and daughters of Nasarawa State to woo investors to come and contribute to the development of the State.

When asked to respond to the speculation that there are some foreign investors who will be coming to Nasarawa State to discuss partnership with him not only in the mining sector but in other sectors of the economy in Nasarawa State, but with particular reference to Nassarawa Eggon town, DHE again simply smiled and said “let’s wait and see.” He was however quick to add that the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr Abdullahi A. Sule, has been very, very supportive in that regard.