Arnado-Debo: Community where only women rule

No one can believe that in this modern world, somewhere in Africa and Nigeria in particular, women have been ruling over men for over 250 years. Not just ruling the men, but for two centuries, women, one after another, have been sole traditional rulers of the town, Arnado Debbo near Ganye the administrative headquarters of […]

No one can believe that in this modern world, somewhere in Africa and Nigeria in particular, women have been ruling over men for over 250 years. Not just ruling the men, but for two centuries, women, one after another, have been sole traditional rulers of the town, Arnado Debbo near Ganye the administrative headquarters of Ganye chiefdom of Adamawa State.

The community is situated about seven kilometers from Ganye on the Ganye-Sugu road. Due to the dilapidated nature of the only access road, travellers to the community will have to go in a roundabout manner, travelling from Ganye to  Sugu before turning off as if returning to Ganye before reaching Arnado Debbo. The journey to the community which ordinarily should to take some minutes stretches over an hour because of the state of the road.

Although the village is nearer Ganye than Sugu, it falls within Sugu district and any dealing with the woman traditional ruler, Nya Gwangwun Astadikko Buba Dimgyeb’s palace, according to sources, must be with the express permission of the Chief of Sugu.

On arrival at the palace, it took us several minutes to see the ruler as our correspondent and other visitors were subjected to screening from her councillors numbering about 17, including female members, for security reasons.

The villagers are predominantly subsistent farmers and when Weekly Trust visited the community, it was apparently sleepy as most of the inhabitants had gone to their farms, leaving children playing at the only primary school in the area.

The village is hemmed in by mountains. According to sources, most of the inhabitants were said to be living on one of the mountains called Jangavan but the people had to move down to the plains, about 80 years ago as a result of frequent floods.

Even though it is a Chamba-speaking community like other communities in the area, the village has sets of values that distinguishes it from even the nearest community.

The close-knit ancient town displays a typical communal co-existence common to a Muslim set-up. Arnado-Debbo strictly observes the tradition of young ones bowing to their elders in greeting as a show of respect.

A unique feature of the community is that younger ones do not play or crack expensive jokes with elders. Dogs are also not permitted to come into some houses.

Enquiries made showed that nobody in the community can trace the origin of the tradition. The people say it was transferred from one generation to another and has become a source of pride to them.

Weekly Trust observed that apart from the only primary school said to have been established in 1979, of historical significant in the village is also a well, with inscriptions that indicated it was completed on March 17,1954. The well is situated at the centre of the village.

During an interview, the paramount ruler of Ganye chiefdom His royal highness, Gwangwari Ganye, Alh.Umaru Adamu Sanda, gave a detailed explanation of the rulership of the village by women.

Gwangwari reveals that the men actually used to rule in Arnado Debbo but that they usually die within three months of ascending the throne.

He recalls that fifteen male rulers had died on the throne, all within three months before the ‘’Kamen’’ decided to try a woman.

“If men cannot hold onto the throne why can’t we try a woman?’’ he queried. And so when a woman, Gangnwum Subonin, was tried in 1762, she did not die within three months but stayed on for nine years and from then onwards and to date, men chickened out and surrendered the stool to women permanently.

Gwangwun Astadikko Buba Dimgyeb is the 17th woman ruler, after Gwangwun Subsanin blazed the trail 250 years ago.

The list of women rulers of Arnado-Debbo as presented to this reporter by the Chief Information Officer of Ganye Chiefdom, Ishak Ahmad Babidi, as agreed by the kingmakers, shows that Gwangwun Shengdo was the second ruler who ruled for 22 years followed by Gangwun Jubkuna who was nick-named “Basket of Juju and fetishes’’ and who ruled for 31 years, followed by Gwangwun Shukji who ruled for 17 years and Gangwun Kuhube with the shortest reign of eight years.

Babidi cut into the list to emphasize the point that from the first Gwangwun (Woman ruler) Subanin in 1762 through to the 13th, saying that no man had ever attempted to snatch the throne from women.

On the consequence of any attempt by even any man to do so, the chief information officer maintained that they won’t even try it, as according to him, our great grand fathers had decided it to be so and that even if one tries and ascends the throne, he won’t last three months and the men do not want to die,’’ he said.

He further said that no Gwangwun is ever dethroned.  “They must be allowed to stay on until death and that all the women must be appointed from the dynasty.’’

According to tradition, every Gwangwun, after installation, must stay in the traditional compound ,a sort of palace meant for Gwangwuns. The present Gwangwun was said to have been installed from Sugu and is now staying in the traditional palace. She told Weekly Trust that she is now 75-years- old.

Gwangwun is considered to be the traditional and spiritual head of the community. She presides over spiritual and traditional ceremonies and festivals including worships.

The institution of the Gwangwun is pigeon-holed into numerous taboos by the culture and tradition of the people. Some of the taboos are so breath-taking that a first timer to the place is left in awe.

The Gwangwun must never set her eyes on a menstruating woman, so, a menstruating woman does not go near the Gwangwun. The woman ruler, though does not have any way of knowing, but they believe a traditional nemesis immediately catches up with the offender as sources said that a python appears from nowhere and coils to the mouth of the offender.

The snake stays there as long as the offender fails or refuses to confess, but as soon as the confession is made, and subject to its being accepted by the Gangwun, the snake disappears mysteriously as it came.

The Gwangwun does not also see anyone, male or female, who had sex but who had not taken his or her bath to wash off ‘contamination’. The snake also visits the offender.

Outside the tradition,  Arnado Debbo crave modernity through social amenities which are non-existent in the community. The existing primary school which dates back several years and in a dilapidated condition, is the only visible sign of modernity in the area.

But the Gwangwun Astadikko pleaded with government to come to their plight as pipe-borne water, schools roads and a healthcare centre are badly needed.