The guy from Henan who became an African chief has returned to China: I am not alone in this honor!

  The news that a Henan guy became a chief in Africa has become popular on the Internet again recently.

  As an employee of a Chinese engineering company abroad, Kong Tao was sent to Nigeria to repair railways after graduating from postgraduate in 2010.

During his 10-year expatriate career, Kong Tao made important contributions to the construction and development of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, and also forged a deep friendship with the local people.

  In 2019, in recognition of Kong Tao's contribution, he was awarded the title of "WAKILIN AYYUKA" (Wakilin Ayyuka) chief by the Turkish Emperor Musa of the Abu Jajiwa region.

This is the African Hausa language, which means "engineering leader".

So far, Kong Tao's WeChat name is still "WAKILIN AYYUKA".

  In January of this year, Kong Tao ended his overseas assignment and returned to China.

On December 4, he accepted an exclusive interview with reporters in Beijing.

  Kong Tao revealed that he was also approved by the organization to become a chief in Africa.

He feels that this honor is not his alone. "On the surface, this title commends me, but in fact, what they want to thank is the Chinese company behind me, and even the motherland behind me."

  Tan Shoufeng

  Glory, joy, anxiety, the most important thing is curiosity

  It was a day that Kong Tao would never forget.

On April 20, 2019, he got up early and after taking a bath, accompanied by his colleagues, he drove to the palace of the Turkish emperor Musa in the Abu Jajiwa region, preparing to participate in the chief's ordination ceremony.

Having worked in Abuja for nearly 10 years, Kong Tao was full of complex emotions of glory, joy, and anxiety in the face of the supreme honor awarded by his African friends.

However, before the ceremony started that day, the main mood of all Chinese participants, including him, was still curiosity.

  "The Emperor Musa told me that I don't need to worry about anything during the ceremony, just listen to their instructions." Kong Tao said that the longest part of the chief's ceremony was wearing clothes. I wear a hat and gown for a long time. Then the Tuwang awarded me a chief certificate and a chief's scepter, and then took me out to take a walk in the territory and take a look."

  How did Kong Tao be named the chief by the earthly emperor?

"Once I was chatting with the Turkish royal family, he said that they had a meeting with the Chiefs Committee and wanted to give me the title of Chief." Kong Tao said.

  As soon as Kong Tao graduated from University, he was sent to Nigeria by China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd. for 10 years.

The Abuja Urban Railway he participated in was the first urban railway in West Africa, which profoundly changed the appearance of the Nigerian capital Abuja.

In the past 10 years, with the construction and commissioning of the Abuja Urban Railway, small villages in the Jiwa area have gradually developed into densely populated and prosperous commercial towns.

The locals have personally felt the changes brought to their country and their lives by the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative and the Chinese builders.

  After initially proposing its intention to Kong Tao, the Chiefs Committee of the Jiwa Region also sent an official letter to the China Civil Engineering Nigeria Company to formally express its intention to confer the title of Chief Kong Tao.

Kong Tao also reported the matter to the secretary of the company's party committee.

"The secretary is very supportive." So the company officially wrote back to the Chiefs Committee and accepted the other party's proposal.

  Talk about "treatment"

  The rank is second only to the Tuwang, but the title is mainly a symbol of honor

  Nigeria is a country governed by national government agencies and traditional local forces.

As a local political leader, chiefs enjoy real power, and are generally divided into three levels: Tu emperor, chief official in frontiers, and county-level administrators.

Kong Tao's title of chieftain was second only to the Tuhuang in rank, and belonged to the "princely official".

  After serving as the chief, Kong Tao officially became a distinguished member of the local tribe, and he had to attend with other chiefs on important festivals.

The identity of the chief also further narrowed the distance between him and his African friends.

"When meeting a local person for the first time, as long as I say that I am the chief of Giva, the other person will instantly feel very friendly, and then the conversation will immediately increase, and the atmosphere will become quite harmonious. I printed'WAKILIN AYYUKA' on my business card. Come on." Kong Tao said.

  What is the experience of becoming a chief?

Africans attach great importance to tradition. When participating in a tribal festival for the first time, Kong Tao was informed in advance that he would ride a horse on that day.

"I said I don't have a horse, but the tribe says it's okay, we have it, and it's ready for you."

  I thought it was just riding a horse to walk around my territory, but I didn't expect that the celebration on that day was very grand, with nearly a hundred chiefs of all sizes participating.

Everyone hugged and hugged them, riding horses and riding in various territories for several hours under the scorching sun.

When the event finally ended, Kong Tao was almost exhausted.

  Many domestic netizens are very concerned about Kong Tao's "treatment".

It is understood that although the title of chief he was awarded is second only to the Turkish emperor in terms of rank, his title is mainly a symbol of honor.

Kong Tao, as an employee of a Chinese company, does not participate in the management of specific local affairs.

  Kong Tao feels that this honor is not his alone. "On the surface, this title commends me, but in fact, what they want to thank is the Chinese company behind me, and even the motherland behind me."

  Talk about the future

  "If I have a chance, I will ride back and have a look."

  After repeated reports by domestic media, Kong Tao is undoubtedly the most well-known Chinese as an African chief, but he is not the first Chinese person to be awarded this supreme honorary title by the African people.

In China Civil Engineering Nigeria Co., Ltd., four Chinese employees have been awarded the title of chief.

The company's longest-time Nigerian employees have worked in Nigeria for nearly 20 years, exposing almost all of their youth to the land of Africa.

  In the 1960s and 1970s, one of China's largest and most well-known foreign aid projects, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, was organized and implemented by the Foreign Aid Office of the Ministry of Railways, the predecessor of China Civil Engineering Corporation.

China Civil Engineering Nigeria Co., Ltd. was established in 1981. After 40 years of development, it has become the largest construction company in West Africa.

  While working in Nigeria, Kong Tao successively participated in the construction of China's first overseas Chinese standard railway Akha Railway and West Africa's first urban light rail Abuja Urban Railway.

The Abuja Metropolitan Railway project was temporarily suspended due to funding problems, but the project was restarted with loans provided by China.

Kong Tao originally planned to return to China in 2016, but the company proposed to hand over the Abuja Urban Rail Project to him, and Kong Tao decided to stay.

After the Abuja Urban Railway was put into operation in 2018, Kong Tao became the general manager of the operation division of China Turkey Nigeria, integrating the company's railway project resources in Nigeria, and was responsible for the company's railway operations in Nigeria.

"My colleague joked to me that after the construction is completed, it has to be operated, and whoever has the child will raise it."

  On January 19 of this year, Kong Tao officially ended his 10-year expedition to Nigeria and returned to work in China.

But Kong Tao's "African Story" is not over yet.

To this day, his WeChat name is still "WAKILIN AYYUKA".

He told reporters that through WeChat, he still keeps in touch with his African friends and the tutelage and chiefs of Abuja.

He did not forget to ask the other party to take good care of the vegetation in the territory, because that was the wealth they used to take care of together.

  "If I have a chance, I will ride a horse and go back and have a look."

  Comprehensive People's Daily, Beijing Daily Client