Bassa has three major tribes: Bassa-komo, Bassa-nge, and Egbira koto. The Bassa-Komo has the highest population followed by Bassa-nge and Egbira koto. The traditional title holder of The Bassa-Komos is the "AGUMA" of Bassa who is a 1st class chief, The "Etsu" of Bassa-Nge also a 1st class chief and the "OHIOGBA" of Mozum is the traditional chief of the Egbiras koto as the 3rd class chief.
The traditional title holder of the Bassa Nge is the Etsu Bassa Nge. The Etsu of Bassa Nge has his royal throne dominant in Gboloko. Gboloko is the kingdom headquarter of the Bassa Nge Kingdom.
Bassa local government area
Bassa Local Government of Kogi State was created in 1976 from Benue State.[5]
The area known as Bassa Local Government was created in 1976 which is a re-establishment of the Bassa Native Authority that was created by the colonial administration around 1900. Sixty years later this colony however lost its standing when as it was merged with the Igala Native Authority in 1960 following a controversial exercise tagged, "reorganization of Native Authorities in the North."[6] It's headquarter sits in Oguma, the adulterated name of the original Agwuma: a thatch made from a called ishere and used to roof houses. Bassa Local Government is boarded to the North by River Benue. In the West by River Niger. To the East by Omala Local Government and to the South by Dekina Local Government.[5] The area comprise the three districts Bassa, Gboloko, and Mozum.
The inhabitants Bassa komu and Bassa nge belong to different groups, ethnically. As they have between them clear distinctions in tradition, origin, culture, and language. While it is believed that the people called Bassa nge got the nomenclature from the word Babossa (which means fertile land or soil), a popular myth however suggests that as a way to seek for asylum in Bassa land, the people adopted the name.[7] The Bassa had arrived here at about 1830's while the Bassa nge arrived at about 1850's.[6] Going further, the suffix "komu" as attached is only popular to the Bassa people of Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State. But the Bassa people in other states and Koton Karfe Local Government Area of Kogi State simply use and are referred to as 'Bassa' or 'Basa'.
The Aguma of Bassa, a first class Chief sitting in Oguma, the headquarter of the area is the traditional head of Bassa Local Government Area and the chairman, Bassa Area Traditional Council.
Bassa Local Government Area has ten political wards from the three districts; Bassa komu district: Akuba I, Akuba II, Akakana/Ayede, Ikende, and Ozongulo; Bassa nge district: Gboloko, Eforo, and Kpata; and Egbura district: Mozum and Ozugbe.
Some notable towns in Bassa Local Government Area includes Oguma (Agwuma), Sheria (the commercial town), Dagba, Kpanche, Eyede, Gbashikere, Akakana, Paruwa, Ikende, Kpokudu, Zenyi, Wussa, Inigwi, Zharikama, Edenyi, Ogodo, Orokwo, and Udogbo from Bassa komu district; Gboloko (headquarter of Bassa nge), Eforo, Emi Guni, Eni Ampamo, Kpata, Shintakwo, Elule, Emi Adama, Ajigido, Emi Audu, and Adum Woiwoi from Bassa nge district; and Mozum (headquarter of Mozum), Biroko, Tekureje, Ugba, Daku Domozu, Ozugbe.[8]
The area bordered to the north and west by rivers Benue and Niger is the agricultural hub of Kogi State due to its high agricultural produce annually. Yam, cassava, rice, guinea corn, millet, beneseed, groundnut, soya beans, et cetera, are produced in high quantities annually. The area is also covered by economic trees which includes Irvingia Gabonensis (Ogbono), Kola Nut, Cashew, Mahogany, Banana, Mango, Orange, Plantain, et cetera.
Apart from the afore mentioned economic factors, the area is also rich in aquaculture with the presence of numerous ponds and rivers for fishing escapades. It has been suggested that aquariums like Minya, Uda mane, Iteme in Gbashikere; and Rivine and Ujo all in Bassa komu district can help boost the revenue of the Local Government and in extension, the state if managed properly. Others includes Emako, Kpekpete, and Yontsu found in Bassa nge district.
The area also has in abundance some natural resources like petroleum, Clay, Iron ore, Salt, and Gypsum which can boost the development of the area if explored properly.[8]
Gbashikere kingdom
Gbashikere is a settlement in Akuba 1 ward of Bassa Local Government of Kogi State, Nigeria. The village was established in 1870 and the first settler is said to be Gado Mungazhɛ who migrated from Owuru following the Uthman Danfodio contest, Jihad.[9]
Gado, a fisherman named the initial Hamlet as Gbashikere, a place of rest or relaxation. The name was said to have been copied by passersby who always saw Mungazhɛ relaxing (Gbashɛ-gbashɛ kere).
Gbashikere was adulterated to Gbadikere or Gbedikere by the British.
Some rivers as found by the first settler, Mungazhɛ are Kwurimi and Minya, the natural ponds where the people fish.
Gado Mungazhɛ ruled the community for 20 years (1871-1891). The next person was Daku Gado for 42 years (1892-1934), Daudu Gado for 17 years (1935-1952)), Gwatana Tassa Zhɛshɛ for 19 years (1953-1972), Dangara Kure for 30 years (1973-2012), and Stephen Uye Gwatana from 2012 till date.
The dominant clans found here are Akuba 1 and Arɛnjɛ. However, the Akuba is the ruling clan.
The settlement borders with Esule to the east, Gbechi to the west, River Benue to the north and Kpoyibo to the south. It is about 10km east to Oguma, the Local Government headquarters.
The village is arguably the foremost hub for fishing escapades in Bassa Local Government Area, credit to River Minya.
The community has produced reputable people which among them were chairmen of the Local Government Area, Honorables Luke Shigaba (late) and Bako Shigaba; Justice Michael Jimba, Honorable Sunday Jimba (late), Honorable Jimba Emmanuel Nibi, Uye Lucky, Paul Gudu, and Ambassador Denwi Joshua Adunga.
The parallel nature of the settlement sees it lying between mountains and lake Minya.
Related Research Articles
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to the southwest by the Edo and Ondo states, to the southeast by the states of Anambra and Enugu, and to the east by Benue State. It is the only state in Nigeria to border ten other states. Named after the Hausa word for river (Kogi). Kogi State was formed from parts of Benue State, Niger State, and Kwara State on 27 August 1991. The state is nicknamed the "Confluence State" due to the fact that the confluence of the River Niger and the River Benue occurs next to its capital, Lokoja.
Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in the 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 and was among the seven states created at that time. The state derives its name from the Benue River initially called Ber-nor, a compound word in Tiv language which means river or lake of hippopotamus the name Ber-nor was corrupted to BENUE by colonial masters, the river is the second largest river in Nigeria after the River Niger. The state borders Nasarawa State to the North; Taraba State to the East; Kogi State to the West; Enugu State to the South-West; Ebonyi and Cross-Rivers State to the South; and has an international border with Cameroon to the South-East. It is inhabited predominantly by the Tiv, Idoma and Igede people. Minority ethnic groups in Benue are Etulo, Igbo, hausa and Jukun people etc. Its capital is Makurdi. Benue is a rich agricultural region; common crops cultivated in the state include oranges, yams, mangoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, soya bean, guinea corn, flax, sesame, rice, groundnuts and palm trees.
Lokoja is a north-central city in Nigeria. It lies at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers and is the capital city of Kogi State. While the Yoruba (Oworo), Bassa Nge and Nupe are indigenous to the area, other ethnic groups, including the Kupa-Nupe, Hausa, Ebira, Igala, Igbo, Bini/Edo, and Tiv have recently established themselves. Lokoja is projected to be the third fastest growing city on the African continent between 2020 and 2025, with a 5.93% growth rate. It was listed as a second class township by the 1917 township ordinance of the colonial administration, indicating that Lokoja is an old city.
Idah is a town in Kogi State, Nigeria, on the eastern bank of the Niger River in the middle belt region of Nigeria. It is the headquarter of the Igala Kingdom, and also a Local Government Area with an area of 36 km2. Idah had a population of 79,815 at the 2006 census.
The Nupe are an ethnic group native to North Central Nigeria. They are the dominant ethnic group in Niger State and a minority in Kwara State. The Nupe are also present in Kogi State and The Federal Capital Territory.
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Igala is a Yoruboid language, spoken by the Igala ethnic group of Nigeria. In 1989 an estimated 800,000 spoke Igala, primarily in Kogi State, though current estimates place the number of Igala speakers at upwards of 1.6 million. Dialects include Ibaji, Idah, Dekina, Ogugu, Ankpa, Ebu, and the Olumbanasaa group ; it is believed that these languages share some similarities with the Yoruba and Itsekiri languages.
The Ebira people are an ethnic-linguistic group of North central Nigeria. Most Ebira people are from Kogi State and Nasarawa State. Their language is usually classified as Nupoid and within the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family. Until the separation of Kogi State from Kwara State, Okene was seen as the administrative center of the Ebira-speaking people in Kogi state, located not far from the Niger-Benue confluence. Since the formation of the state, the Ebira Ta'o people are predominantly found in five local governments in Kogi state, namely Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okehi, Okene and Ogori/Magongo. They are also found in large numbers located in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Nasarawa in Toto LGA. Also, the Eganyi are found in Ajaokuta LGA. And the Etuno can be found in Igarra town of Agorimagongo, Okehi and Okene each with their administrative headquarters. Ebira Koto is found in Kogi and Koton Karfe LGA, Bassa LGA, Lokoja in Kogi and Abaji LGA in the Federal Capital Territory, Akoko-Edo LGA, Edo State.
Nupe is a Volta–Niger language of the Nupoid branch primarily spoken by the Nupe people of the North Central region of Nigeria. Its geographical distribution stretches and maintains preeminence in Niger State as well as Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory. Nupe is closely related to Kakanda in structure and vocabulary. There are at least two markedly different dialects of Nupe: Nupe central and Nupe Tako.
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