On Wednesday, February 15, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) sent a link to every student in the University to apply for a limited spot to visit the palace of the Lamido Adamawa. The tour could only take seventy students, and it was filled in less than an hour.
The selected students were sent specific instructions on the pick-up location, the time of the event, and how to dress moderately. On Friday, February 19, by 10 am, the students left the campus on time for the palace.
The idea for the event was presented by Udo, the co-chair of Films and Trips, which is a core section of CAB. They are responsible for organizing movie-based events in the Fall semester and trips in Spring. Prior to students going to the palace, the co-chairs, Udo and Aribim Bristol, went to the palace to inspect the environment and ensure safety for AUN students.
All the students arrived at the venue at the appropriate time via the school bus. They complied with the dress code, and they were very entertained with the information about the history of the Lamido’s palace, Yola, and Adamawa. They were able to see many artifacts, some of them being the oldest Qur'an and the spears used by the first Lamido over 200 years ago. There were battle weapons such as a canon that was used in war times. There was a wooden frame containing the original Nigerian currency notes and all the early forms of coins used in the past. The students also saw picture frames of all the Lamidos and the different traditional regalia they wore during their reign. The purpose was to show the different eras of the traditional fashion culture. There were many clay pots around used for a variety of purposes like cooking, cleaning, and storing water.
Ojonoka Braimah, a senior studying Communication and Multimedia Design shared his impression: "I believe one of the most exciting things I saw today were the spears used over 200 years ago. The history behind these artifacts is mind-blowing. I want to come back and visit again."
"I am very grateful to everyone who helped organize this event and also those who showed up. Everything went perfectly according to plan and that made me extremely happy," said Aribim, co-chair of Films and Trips.
Reported by Deborah Sike, Intern, Marketing & Communications Department