The myth and might of Aso Rock dwellers
According to the local people, about two species of monkeys, several small wild animals and different types of snakes dwell in the mini-forest in Kaima (behind the mountain) village, midway on top of the mountain, and a hiker or visitor may most likely catch a fleeting glimpse of these animals. A difficult life on top […]
According to the local people, about two species of monkeys, several small wild animals and different types of snakes dwell in the mini-forest in Kaima (behind the mountain) village, midway on top of the mountain, and a hiker or visitor may most likely catch a fleeting glimpse of these animals.
A difficult life on top of the Mountain…
Another obvious glimpse at Kaima is poverty. The only village on Aso it is shrinking with a population of less than one hundred and fifty, according to Amos the son of the late chief. Whenever any opportunity comes like working as domestic servants, some of the villagers, especially amongst the young men and girls, left the mountain to the plains “a way of running away from the difficulties of living here.”
“On Aso Rock, though we enjoy cold and spring water from different points on the mountain, which is very scarce to the people living on low lands, we are in a desperate need of a clinic and primary school for our children, “he added.
According to 80-years-old Mama Gbagyi of Kaima village and the wife of the late Sarki Yakubu Zakoi of the Gbagy tribe, formerly living on the plains of Oviye, “Our children cannot join nursery schools because they are too young to climb the mountain. Instead they only wait until they are six to enter primary schools.”
But at six, Dele, whose Yoruba parents moved to the mountain along with some of the Gbagy people to avoid another experience of demolition, said, “I don’t know why my father chose to bring us here. Everyday, I trek down and up the mountain to attend school and it is very tiring.” The young Dele had just covered over 250 metres trek to climb the mountain with his peers at the village.
According to Abraham Usman, a teacher at the primary school Dele attended in one of the army barracks on the foot of the mountain, “we have a handful of them that are schooling here and a lot of them have completed their studie but, sincerely, they are very determined to study, considering the fact that they come from that mountain,” he pointed at Aso rock.
For this teacher, he admired the determination of these pupils to be educated to improve their lives. “The Gbagy are extraordinary people. Apparently that is why children as young as six-year-old make it from the mountain to school here.”
But Dele is not Gbagy, he is Yoruba, yet he has also displayed that kind of resilience and determination of the Gbagy to live on the mountain without the kind of amenities that abound in the plains. “Yes there may be opportunities in the cities but it is better to withstand the severe difficulties here than to be humiliated in the city just because you are poor” said Dele’s mother.
A recent UNFAO research shows that around 700 million individuals live in mountain regions around the world. And these mountain communities are among the poorest and most affected by hunger in the world. 245 out of the 700 million mountain dwellers live in rural areas in developing and transition countries and are threatened by food insecurity. Obviously, Kaima cannot be an exception, may be amongst the worst, and what makes their situation more glaring is that they are just on the top of Aso villa, watching the president.
“When we are sick our young men carry us on the shoulder down to the city for treatment. Our government is our deities, each time we make sacrifice, we have good farming season, only that recently we cannot afford the cows to make sacrifice and things are not as good as in the past,” said Mama Gbagy. She added that apart from their deities, no one sees them as human beings, yet they pray and make sacrifices with whatever little they had for protection.
“Any time we fail to pray, something strange happens to us and, I believe, even to several people in Abuja as well,” said Mama.
In Nigeria, governments have not tackled the problems of developments in the lowlands, let alone, address the poverty and development issues in mountainous regions that lack roads and basic life support. In Abuja the Federal Capital Development authority or the local authorities concentrate development planning and services in lowland areas, Engineer Abubakar Akuni, a construction engineer, in Abuja said.
According to this engineer, the peculiarities of high-altitude environments like the Aso Rock mountain communities call for a different approach, based on scientific mountain research and knowledge and the cost of such projects is overwhelming and government cannot sink in huge resources, leaving other sectors of the economy to suffer, said Akuni
The mountain dwellers have a choice.
Either to leave the mountains and enjoy the opportunities in the lowlands or remain on the top where construction is not feasible any time soon, he maintained.
Mystical tales from Aso Rock…
According to the villagers, the Asokoro people have never known defeat in war. Whenever their enemies launched any attack, the entire Asokoro villages around and on top of the mountain would be thrown into darkness, scaring away the enemies. Thanks to the gods!
The Gbagy festivals which take place before and after the raining season, and the sacrifice of animals to the gods are some of the unique local traditions that are not affected by civilisations and religions. Although they bear Christian names, they are deeply involved with deity worship.
There are pockets of caves on the Aso Rock Mountain structure. This writer visited four caves and the villagers said there were over 10 caves, “Some of them we are yet to visit or even see because of the thick forest around the caves and the lack of stairway to access the area.”
A remarkable scenery on top the mountain is a pond that never dries up, said the villagers. This pond is a treasure to the villagers because it serves as a reservoir.
Anybody that fetches this water and spills or throws it away will be put under a dreadful curse by the Asokoro gods. The fear of not offending the gods has made the peopel to shun greed. It has also helped to preserve the pond with its unique cold and clean water. The people focus more of their attention on other water points on mountain.
The tourism window…
Tourists are said to be attracted to mountainous regions for many reasons: The climate and clean air, varied topography, beautiful scenery, wild life, local traditions, simple life styles, and sports.
Mountains like Aso Rock in the FCT are amongst the much sought tourist destinations in the world. The beautiful and natural landscape is eye-catching and offers an alternative to the urbanized and stormy Abuja life.
The FCT is aware of the huge tourism revenue potentials if Aso Rock is opened as a commercial tourism site. But the location of the mountain, overlooking the presidential complex, the National Assembly, Supreme Court and other strategic government institutions have discouraged the authorities from developing the place for tourist on.
According to one account, more than 50 million people visit mountains each year. They are drawn to these areas by the physical beauty of alpine environments, the many forms of recreation available in mountainous terrain and the opportunities for experiencing cultural heritage in the communities found there. The clean, cool air and awe-inspiring scenery of mountain areas, combined with the unique customs, arts, crafts and culinary traditions of the communities that live there, make trips to the mountains attractive holiday options.
The tourism revenues have unquestionably brought benefits to many of the world’s mountain regions and children like Dele that are living on top of Aso Rock may have their living standards improved.
Although, the implications of opening of Aso Rock, which ultimately will bring to an end the plight of Aso Rock dwellers, does not only rest in security alone. Even the natural environment would be compromised.