Borgu’s memorable guests
Anyone visiting Borgu soon becomes conscious of the strong European influence upon this quiet Emirate. You also sense the continuing impact of these visitors of long ago. Soon you are practically walking in the footsteps of European visitors who came at different times. There are the shoes made of bronze which were presented to the […]
Anyone visiting Borgu soon becomes conscious of the strong European influence upon this quiet Emirate. You also sense the continuing impact of these visitors of long ago. Soon you are practically walking in the footsteps of European visitors who came at different times. There are the shoes made of bronze which were presented to the father of the current Mai Borgu (Emir of Borgu) when the former visited the United Kingdom sometime in the 1960’s.These shoes can still be seen at the palace.Somehow, they still look very new.A beautiful form of embroidery on the bronze adorns the shoes. They are attached to a saddle made of aluminium which is also another gift given to Mai Borgu. By the side of the saddle are the words Mai Borgu. The saddle and the words look very attractive. Mai is an indication of the Bornoan links which the people often speak of. Here is powerful history, and a regal people… whose forebears were also proud warriors.
Damisa Yau Mohammed, Danmasanin Borgu, tells me that it was the search for the source of the Niger which drew many European traders and adventurers to Borgu.His words, ‘The visit of Mungo Park and others was geared towards discovering the source of the Niger. Prior to their visit people thought the river Niger flowed towards Mali. But actually it was their coming that made people discover that it flows out of Mali down to Nigeria and to the East’? In 1796 Mungo Park ‘discovered’ the Niger at Segu in present day Mali, showing that the river flowed in an easterly direction. According to Traditional Treasures of Borgu, ‘Nine years later in 1805, he returned to Africa with a party of 43 Europeans to determine the outlet of the Niger.
This expedition ended in disaster. Almost all its members died one after the other, victims of tropical diseases, infections and other peculiar hazards. Mungo Park himself and his few remaining colleagues met their end in late 1805 at the notorious Bubaro falls of the Bussa Rapids.’ In 1825 Hugh Clapperton and Richard Lander passed through Bussa, trekking up north from Badagry in search of the Niger. They moved on to Sokoto, not knowing that they had left behind them the object of their mission. Later, Richard Lander returned on the mission with his brother John. They were received at Bussa by the king of Bussa Kitoro I (1792-1835) ‘who accorded them hospitality and gave them a boat for their journey. In appreciation, they presented a silver medal to the monarch on August 6 1830.
According to Traditional Treasures of Borgu ‘Today when we (Richard and John Lander) ascertained that it was the actual intention of the King to supply us with a canoe, we thought it proper to present him, in the name of the Sovereign, with one of those beautiful silver medals which were cast during the American War….of all the gifts presented nothing seemed to please the King as the silver medal carrying the picture of King George III (of England)’. Recently on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the British explorer Richard Lander, Borgu was visited by a large international expedition of explorers, journalists and tourists who presented the Emir with a replica of the medal that was presented to Kitoro I in 1835.The Borgu Emirate is working on a number of projects which would re-enact the activities of these travellers and adventurers. Thus, a project following the footsteps of Mungo Park will commence in the Gambia through Segu in Mali, and terminate in Bussa, Nigeria. Another project is the re-enactment of the adventures of the Lander brothers who in 1830 identified the outlet of the Niger. This will help to keep the memory of these visitors alive in the country.
In 2005 Dr Ross McCallum Jones from Australia presented five critically acclaimed publications on Borgu, including the first ever Bissan/Boko English dictionary. So the interest in Borgu continues in the present. Today, there is a close relationship between the Richard Lander Primary school Truro, England and the Richard Lander Primary school Borgu. Truro is the birthplace of Richard Lander. A computer center has been set up at the Borgu school,which will soon receive twenty computers from the partner school in Truro.The school also has a well stocked library, and efforts are on to facilitate a trip to the UK by pupils of the Richard Lander school, Borgu. 200 years after his visit, pupils in Borgu are fondly tracing the footsteps of Richard Lander. Mr Steve Dunstone is the leader of the Richard Lander International Foundaton. He is the Mabudi (key) of Borgu Kingdom. Once a medal was given. Now a title comes in handy to salute a soul dedicated to Borgu. There are plans to erect a statue in honour of Lord Lugard, as well as one for Mungo Park who died at the Bubaro Falls.
George Tubman Goldie visited Bussa during the reign of Kigera II (1862-1895) while scouting for a trade station.
Old Bussa also has sites which are connected with the European presence.But these were submerged with the construction of the Kainji dam.
The next visitor to Borgu was Heinrich Barth.He was in Bussa during the reign of Kisan Gajere (1844-1862) and presented a sword to the King. Later Lord Lugard also visited Borgu. This was during the famous race to Nikki, which brought Britain and France close to war over their imperialist designs on Borgu. Sabuke, the great hero of the people, also naturally came into the picture. This was in the sense that he resisted the attempt by the British to appoint a slave as the King of Bussa. Sabuke raised an army and “Holding in his hand a charm which he said would protect his troops from physical harm’, he expelled Turaki, the King of slave origins, from Bussa. The British soon reversed their decision. Sabuke is very much alive in the people’s memory. The Sabuke square was raised in his honour by the efforts by Mai Borgu. The Nigerian film industry, popularly known as Nollywood, is working on the possibility of producing a movie based on the exciting life of Sabuke.
Postscript: I first went to Borgu in the rainy season of 2009, while researching a story on the dredging of the river Niger.I was told about the drum called Tambari, which was ‘given to the people of Borgu a long time ago by the river Niger’. Tradition holds that the drum emerged from the river Niger. One Tambari is said to have returned into the Niger on its own accord. I saw the Tambari and I was thrilled. It was while interviewing Dr. Aminu Raji, the head of NFRRI, New Bussa that I began to develop a strong interest in Borgu. I confessed as much and he linked me with the Danmasanin Borgu who gave me information on the ancient Borgu Kingdom and much else. The people of Borgu are also found in the Republic of Benin, as well as in Ghana and Burkina Faso. They hold the Gani Festival once every two years, and all the sons and daughters of the Kingdom then congregate at Borgu from all parts of West Africa and abroad.
I returned to Borgu two weekends ago to work on another set of stories. There is still a lot to delight and thrill the visitor. You don’t really hear the sound of generators in Borgu. The sound of generators has become a Nigerian sound. Even while in Nigeria, Borgu is rather unNigerian.This is because of its constant power supply which is rather unprecedented. I also like the dignified bearing of the people.The nearby Kainji dam provides round the clock electricity.It can get quite cold at this time of the year.
Old Bussa has been submerged by the waters of the dam, but the people’s powerful history and traditions are very alive….