HISTORY OF THE BASSA PEOPLE OF NIGERIA.

Origins

Somewhere in Africa, there exists a tribe called "Bassa." Though the name of this tribe appears ambiguous as it has varieties of its species spread across many eastern and western African countries. These notably include Nigeria, Cameroon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Liberian coasts.

In a general or global sense, the Bassa tribe belongs to a larger ethnic group known as the "KRU." Alongside Bassa, the other tribes that constitute the KRU ethnic group include Bété, Krumen, Guéré, Grebo, Klao, Krahn, and Jebo people. This very fact cannot be merely disputed owing to the fact that these constituent tribes of KRU have similar and striking identifications in terms of cultural history, occupation, religious rituals, political organization, and more.

The KRU people are also believed to have migrated from the Nilotic eastern African countries to their present abodes. While some researchers claim that the Bassa (or better, the KRU ethnic group) migrated from Egypt as a country, many more have claimed they migrated from South Sudan to their present locations on the map. Though the former have been unable to explain further whether its claim is about Egypt as a country (Arab Republic of Egypt) or as a civilization in the Nilotic valley (Ancient Egypt) from 3150 BCE to 30 BCE. However, it is pertinent to note that these claims both justify that the people originated from the Nilean axis.

The Bassa Speaking People of Nigeria are a unique tribe that exists in the country. They are unique because of their special politico-socio-economic impact in the country—these impacts are the by-product of the Bassa’s hard-working nature: they work briskly in all fields, yet these impacts frequently appear to be reserved even though they are great.

The Migration

Bassa is an indigenous tribe in Nigeria. The Bassa people predominantly occupy the central region of the country, also known as the North Central or Middle Belt. The geopolitical zone consists of seven states, namely: The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Nasarawa; Kogi; Kwara; Plateau; Benue; and Niger.

Bassa-speaking people are arguably the first or second most populated tribes dominating the Central Region of Nigeria. Although a vast number have spread across the southwestern parts like Oyo, Kwara, and Benin, and some still in Kaduna. Though the numbers spread across the northern parts of the country have over time been adulterated. Contrary to those across the southwestern parts who even have Chieftain titles considering their numbers in those parts of the country.

Historically, the teeming population of the tribe that occupies the central region of the country today are specifically said to have come originally from a town near Zaria (of Kaduna state), named Gabi (Igebi). According to W. B. Baikie, "Specifically, the Bassa are said to have come originally from a town near Zaria, named Gabi." The Bassa headquarters was at Gumna ("Uguma" more specifically).

It is said that to remember their origin, the Bassa sing to their progenitors:

Ga omu 'wi taa nụ Zarɛnya,
Serechi ma-ta.
Ga ada 'wi taa nụ Zarɛnya,
Serechi Ma-za.
                    

Translation:

Mother died far away in Zaria, Queen of Women.
Father died far away in Zaria, King of Men.

Yet, some mythological support for this fact can be seen in a song, usually sung among the Bassa people in commemoration of their ancestors:

Ga omu namɛ ne uye Gabi
Ga ada namɛ taa nụ Zarɛnya (Zaria)
E Dengeni ga shibi hiɛn jiye yo o
E Dengeni meni na mo rungo shɛmɛ
                    

Translation:

Mother is in grave at Gabi
Father is far away in Zaria
Dengeni, father wants you to come back
Dengeni, here, the flood is round the hill.

In addendum, there is a common tale in Bassa about Mr. Spider, who purportedly lost his in-laws in a faraway town on the hills. As it is a tradition, the spider owes the funeral ceremony of his in-laws. So he took with him the Toucan (Tecire), a bird that sings, and a Toad (Ukwutu), which hums the drum sound to give the Toucan’s song a melodious rhythm.

The Toucan sang thus:

Ci-ye Ci-ye Ci-ye...
Ci-ye Serechi Ma-za
Ci-ye Ci-ye Ci-ye...
Ci-ye Serechi Ma-ta
E'uji gazụ 'wi taa nụ Zarɛnya
Eeh! Mmh!
Ga gazụ hiɛn ti zhɛ u'wo.
                    

Translation:

Ci-ye Ci-ye Ci-ye
Ci-ye - King of Men
Ci-ye Ci-ye Ci-ye
Ci-ye - Queen of Women
Mr. Spider’s in-law died far away in Zaria
Eeh! Mmh!
Mr. Spider said we are going for the funeral.

Orphan Story

Describing the people’s pitiable condition in the aftermath, the Bassa people told a story thus:

Once upon a time, there lived an orphan in a village, a quiet, remote village where the primary occupation of the inhabitants is farming. It was on this fateful day, one of the elders of the village made a call to the entire village for "itimɛ i'ɛnu"—an act whereby all men in the village are expected to go farm for the one who makes the call (Aguma ohilo).

It was dawn on this fateful day, and before the sunrise could reveal clearly the face of someone, everybody was set for the farm, and they got going, including the orphan. On the way, they had to cross a river that barely reached the knee before they arrived at the farm. The people started tilling the ground on a field that would take 'forever' if it was for a single man to work it. But everyone became overwhelmed after a short while that they had suddenly finished the farm work. Although one cannot be too amazed in a field where almost fifty men till the ground.

Suddenly, the clouds became very angry, and before they could realize, it started to pour its anger so heavily. All the men who went to the farm started for home immediately. They walked until they got to the river, which they crossed previously, and to their greatest shock, the water that barely leveled their knees rose to a level at which it could swallow even the tallest man that was with them at the farm.

Realizing this, every man turned to their families and made units. The elderly people of each unit helped the younger ones to maneuver and cross. This is how families crossed after families until all of them crossed, leaving the orphan behind and helpless as no one cared to help him. So, the orphan anyway decided to take the risk since he was left with no option in such a state of dilemma. He stepped into the river, managed to move forward, and at the same time tried so hard to resist the water current, and at each level, he sang a chorus. When the water level got to his waist, he sang the chorus; when it got to his chest, he sang the chorus; yet, as he approached the middle of the river, it...

The message therein goes thus:

The orphan in the story signifies Bassa. The farm mentioned is an indication of the long-age occupation of Bassa.

The second paragraph explains how early the Bassa love going to work: "before the sunrise could reveal clearly the face of one..." And the initial water level they crossed to the farm signifies the smooth living standards of the Bassa with their neighbor, in the sense that even life challenges were minor and not gruesome or worrisome to the people.

The idiomatic expressions "clouds become very angry... pour its anger" signify the war that befell the Bassa in a long time past with their closest neighbor, the Hausa.

The orphan singing the song was lamenting about the very war that killed their Queen mother at Gabi—"mother is in grave at Gabi," and how their king was captured and taken to Zaria where he too was killed. While on the other line, "the flood is round the hill" points to the lingering war at their countryside then.

Finally, the scenario where the orphan drowned signifies the collapse of the Bassa army as a result of the killing of their warriors: the Queen and the King. And the sweeping off of the orphan by the river ultimately signifies the final exodus of the Bassa from Gumna and Gabi, down to their present-day abodes.

This contest that led to the people’s exodus was fueled by political and religious contest, whereas the Bassa’s great number in that part of the country was seen by their neighbor, the Hausa, as a threat to their political power. In order to maintain dominance politically, the Hausa could only defeat the Bassa if they joined forces with the Fulbe, who had immigrated and introduced a new religion to the people inhabiting that part of the country. Bassa had remained adamant to their African Traditional Religion, and the Hausa and Fulbe could not have absolute dominance over them, thus, the contest.

So, this myth is usually told to every generation of the Bassa people everywhere, every time.

Dialects

In the Bassa tribe, there are distinctions observed in the standardized idiom that is considered the 'true' form of a particular area, community, or social group, differing from other varieties of the same language in relatively minor ways as regards grammar, phonology, and lexicon. This is to say that community impacts the tongue/language of people, especially when they interrelate with other tribes.

Bassa Gurmana, Bassa Komu, Bassa Kamuku, Bassa Kwali, Bassa Rukuba, and Bassa Akpanaja are all descendants of the same progenitors, genealogically. The observed distinctions in their grammar, phonology, or lexicons are simply influenced by their different communities over time. They should, however, not be mistaken with the Bassa Nge, who are of Nupe origin.

Occupation

Bassa people are predominantly farmers. They cultivate crops like yam, millet, guinea corn, maize, etc. The people also engage in fishing and rearing of livestock. In addition, they are skilled in arts, including weaving and molding earthen pots.

Some researchers have claimed that, after the Fulani, the Bassa are the next nomads—they frequently change residence in search of fertile lands for farming.

Pressure Groups

Among many pressure groups, the national groups include the National Association of Bassa Students (NABS) and the Bassa Cultural and Development Union (BCDU), whose membership cuts across all the states in Nigeria.

Cultural Dance

The Bassa people of Nigeria have various cultural dances. These include Ugunu, Ike masquerade, Araga, etc.

Towns and Villages

Some popular Bassa towns and villages include:

• Gwagwalada
• Oguma
• Tawari
• Ugya
• Gwameni (Gbameni)
• Jiwa
• Bassa
• Turunku
• Zwere
• Nuku
• Rubochi
• Sauka
• Shiroro
• Oweito (Ihwetu)
• Rukubi
• Awawa
• Ubo

References

• E. G. M. Dupigny, Esq. - Gazetteers of Nupe Province.
• S. S. Labaran (August 1996) - The Ugunu Cultural Festival of the Bassa People (Case Study of Toto LGA of Plateau State).
• S. S. Labaran (August 2007) - The Theology of Life after Death in African Traditional Religion (Case Study of the Bassa People of Nasarawa State).
• W. B. Baikie (1966) - Narrative of an Exploring Voyage up the Rivers Kwora and Binue in 1854.
• W. Paul (1993) - The Bassa Speaking People of Nigeria.
• Oral interviews
• ® Bassa Nigeria