IF YOU DO NOT BLOW YOUR TRUMPET, NO ONE WILL BLOW IT
FOR YOU BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IS BUSY BLOWING THEIR OWN (SIR AHMADU BELLO,
SARDAUNA OF SOKOTO AND PREMIER OF THE NORTHERN REGION)
This succinct and iconic statement by the respected
statesman and foremost leader in the North is probably an explication of the
current cultural renaissance sweeping across the world. But we will rather
restrict ourselves to our immediate constituency called Nigeria and more
specifically to the middle belt region and Kaduna state in particular where
globalization and its concomitant effects has by and large progressively and
insidiously been eroding and effacing local identities. This cultural hegemony
has such a colossal weight and influence that even big, established
nationalities are groaning under its blitz. It is a ‘monster’ that is fast
eating up the little values that we as a people still have. Identities, both
corporate and individual, are fast disappearing and are being replaced by a
‘cool’ culture- a culture of Hip Hop, Tattoos, commodification,
commercialization and blatant display of sex with impunity; a culture of moral
relativism.
This cultural whiplash has caused a lot of concern for
the Akurmi and indeed other ethnic nationalities, but especially the smaller
ethnic minorities who are suffering a double dose of cultural alienation as
their identities are daily being swallowed up by bigger, hegemonic cultures.
This concern translated into a two day International conference/Exhibition
which was held in Saminaka Hotel Resort on 27th -28th
December, 2012 organized by Akurmi Study Group. The idea behind the conference
is basically to showcase Akurmi culture and to retrace the history of the
Akurmi people given the varied and incoherent traditions of origins, both oral
and written, which have so far served as the reference point but which have
also not been properly problematized and/or undergone rigorous intellectual
inquiry and historiography but have just been accepted over the years hook,
line and sinker because some historical ‘authority’ or anthropologist has said
so, and so no proper probing has been done to authenticate this.
Akurmi people boasts of a very rich heritage and demographic
configuration relative to other nationalities around and about them, spread out
within three key states of Kaduna, Kano and Plateau with some residue in Bauchi
state and occupying some of the most fertile agricultural lands within the
middle belt region that makes for a high attraction of settlers some of who
have been vanquished by the sustained onslaught of desertification and drought
from further up north.
The varying and contradictory traditions of origins
all agree on one issue at least-that is the wandering and agricultural prone
Akurmi who used to call themselves N’zume (Iron People) finally settled in
Kudaru hills from where they dispersed to other areas that they now occupy. The
complete cessation of hostilities hitherto occasioned by the frequent forays by
invading expansionists in the early 20th century made the conditions
ripe for this dispersal. Inasmuch as inter tribal wars were also arrested by
the colonialists. It should be noted that even though the Akurmi have been
around all this while both political and economic …have slipped out of their
hands. Therefore, these people have been in relative obscurity for, probably as
long as they have been in existence, cut off by a huge Chinese like wall of
complacence, political apathy and pristine childlike political innocence.
Whether in the field of agriculture or education,
therefore, the Akurmi people have continued to lag behind. The farming methods
are still crude, undeveloped and backbreaking. Alarmingly, the tractor which
was supposed to replace the local hoe and the use of live animals for farming
has once again disappeared to be replaced by the same means of cultivation used
more than forty years ago! Student enrollment to schools has tremendously
improved but does not in any way reflect the reality of the Akurmi population
explosion. The linguistic paraphernalia of the B’kurmi; probably one of the
only means of identification as such is also suffering a short circuit. From
the villages to the cities, it is much easier for many of us Akurmi to
communicate with our children in Hausa or English than in T’kurmi. In short,
the whole identity of the B’kurmi is threatened given the sustained onslaught
by the emergent cultural invasion on both the geographical and mental space of
Akurmi.
The idea of holding a conference/exhibition was
therefore born out of necessity to advocate for a rethink of the Akurmi
political economy and chart a better roadmap in the conscious effort to remain
afloat against the swift current that is sweeping the Akurmi people and nation
down a precipice of ethnic oblivion. It is interesting to note that so much was
realized given the challenges encountered during this two day programme.
The enthusiasm of the people was quite unprecedented
as they trooped to the Resort. Under the strong chairmanship of Prof Daniel
Adawa, the programme was done in a disciplined and highly academic atmosphere.
Quality presentations led by the indefatigable Prof.J G Nengel addressed key
issues of migration patterns of Akurmi, their Socio-political set up, both in
the ancient past and the modern era, aspects of their linguistic make up and
how vocational education can go a long way in empowering the youth.
However, the exhibition was the high point of the
occasion as priceless artifacts and other museumistic materials were put on
display. These were materials gathered across the length and breadth of
Akurmiland, which project one story or the other about the B’kurmi in his
environment. A few of these are displayed below:
(An Ancient Upanga (granary) high up in Kudaru Hills
said to be more than 300 years old and also reputed to have mythical powers of
an endless supply of food to the Akurmi in times of crises as they hide deep in
the caves from invaders.)
(Lord Lugard bridge in Karku) (A Sword given to Gbang Maigamoh in 1848 as staff of office.)
( T’chinda N T’jine (Mortars and Pestles)
Looking at these pictures gives one a feeling of
nostalgia. The point to be made therefore is that with a sustained programme
like the one that held either annually or bi-annually more of these artifacts
will be brought out to the outside world. But beyond that the advantages that
can be harvested from this Conference/Exhibition are plentiful both financially
and ideologically. Some of these will include the following:
v Will avail
the Akurmi people, especially the elites, an avenue to sit together and
brainstorm on issues that will move the Akurmi nation forward.
v It is an
avenue for the documentation of Akurmi culture.
v Slows down
the process of mistrust and suspicion that has eaten deep into Akurmi fabric by
creating rapport and understanding among them.
v Will serve
as an avenue for packaging and commercializing culture to the outside world
with proper collaboration with relevant agencies.
v Will avail
‘Diaspora’ children-those who have been brought up in the cities and so are
therefore seriously disconnected from the Akurmi cultural heritage given that
they hardly visit the countryside where culture, though in a residual form, is
still practiced haltingly- the opportunity to learn the rubric of this fast
fading activities.
v Will launder
the corporate image of Akurmi to the outside world.
v With time,
it will support the fledgling tourism industry in the state by bringing in
tourists worldwide. Presently, the tourism industry is struggling to stay
afloat, in spite of its great potential as a source of income for government.
In conclusion, and as we reflect on the pains and
gains of the Conference/Exhibition, it might not have taken on the
international outlook as ambitiously canvassed by the conveners but we believe
that subsequent editions will build up on this effort. However, it was
certainly and most unarguably a successful way of the Akurmi people saying “hey
everybody, we are still here, alive…and well and kicking?”
