Bali Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow

BALI YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW To start with the word “Bali” (also known as Bibaali, Maya, Ibaale, Abaali, Ibaale or Ibaali) is used to refer to the communities that settled at these villages: Farabaune, Tashan Gurgu, Geidam/Tamgum, Tagombali Center, Duwo, Tamwa, Badan, Kwafara, Gidan-Rimi, Tamshe, Bali, and Bomni located on Numan-Jalingo Highway about 20KMs from Numan. Others who settled in the interior are: Janawuri, Salem (Babgye), Badalang, Tamgong, Tagombali Dutse, Tangshi, Guri, Guri Kasuwa, Dingle, Kwabak, and Ubgo (Dingle Dutse) who speak Congo-Ubanpi language as classified by Blench and others. Presently, Bali is located in Demsa, Numan, Mayo Belwa Local Government areas of Adamawa State and. Majority of the people are agriculturalist, though there are traders, herdsmen and civil servants among them. Like any other ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Bali claims that they entered the Nigeria region from the east. The Bali, for example claim that they entered the Nigerian region from the Republic of Congo and through gradual process; they came and settled in their present geographical location. The Yotti claim that they came into the Nigerian region from Egypt. The Kpasham

and

Bomni

denied

any

knowledge

of

distance

movement. They claim that they came from Bachama land, probably from Lamurde to the area they are now occupying. However, linguistics evidence suggests that the people are of

Bantu origin. The evidence points to Republic of Congo as their original homeland. It is not known when the people left their original settlement. Probably, the people must have left their original settlement in the 17th Century by which time there was population movement in the whole of the West, East and Central Africa as a result of famine, facial wars and chieftaincy tussle. The Bali might have formed part of the population that migrated to the Lake Chad basin area and, later to the Upper Benue Valley. Before the declaration of the Jihad in Fombina, in 1809, Bali had already settled in their various communities and has developed

village

governments

or

better

still,

community

governments, independent of each other. Apart from these community governments set up by the Bali, the people also had a well defined social and economic system which rendered their societies stable. For example, one aspect of the social life of the people is that the Bali had great respect for life. In fact, the spilling of human blood was seen as offensive to Kpan Biswi (Kpan Luh or Luwe, among the Yotti and Kpasham respectively). Most Bali believed that it was Kpan Biswi that guide and sustain their livelihood. To the Bali, therefore, life was very sacred. The birth of a child was greeted with joy not only by the parents but also by the community as a whole. The growth and development of such a child was watched carefully by the entire community.

He was trained not only by his parents and relatives alone but by the community as a whole. This made Bali child useful member of his society. Similarly, the death of a member was mourned by all and was seen as a great loss to the entire Bali Community. In short, there was social cohesion among the Bali people before the advert of Colonialism. For instance, an attack on any of the Bali Village by the enemy was seen as an attack on all. Besides, individual farmers or other hunters assisted their colleagues in time of need, especially through communal work (Gaya in Hausa). To put it in another way, during pre-colonial period, Bali Society was quite peaceful and people were hardworking. Their quarrels were settled among them peacefully, although on rare occasions, they resort to skirmishes. During the first decade of the 19th Century, Bali Land started to experience some political, economic and social disequilibrium. The declaration of the Jihad in Fombina in 1809 by, Modibbo Adama affected not only the Bali but the whole of the Upper Benue Region. The Jihadists attempted to overrun the whole

of

devastating

Bali

land

but

without

success.

However,

one

impact of this Jihad on the people is that there

were population movements throughout Bali land. In the process, many of the Bali lost their children, their relatives, friends and possessions to the Jihadists. Even before the declaration of the Jihad by Moddibo Lawan on Bali people, Baliland had been under constant threats from Fulani and Bachama slave raiders.

The threats posed to the Bali by the slave raiders and the menace of the Jihadists, led to restriction of Bali social, economic

and

political

activities.

Consequently,

poverty

gradually started to gain inroad into the society. A missionary, Ernest Engskor who visited Bali village in the early 1930S had this to bay: Bali appeared to us to be one of the most wretched, primitive and poverty stricken of African villages, enslaved as the people were by ancient tradition and fear of evil spirit. Our had been on exceptional and unique experience for it was almost as though these

people

had

awakened

from

their

sleeping

beauty

enhancement to discover the great world beyond their isolated society (Enskor, 1983:179). The Bali was gradually tackling the problems of slave raiders and Fulbe Jihadists, when British colonial masters extended their activities to Bali land. Eventually the people were conquered and brought under the British colonial administration in 1903. 1903 to 1912, the whole area South of Numan Town was regarded as “closed territory”. It was not until after 1912 that Bali land, including those living in Mayo-Belwa and Lau was opened to Christian missionaries. By 1940S, colonialism and Christianity were deeply noted in Bali villages. Indeed, while the Christian missions, especially the United Sudan Mission (SUM) were busy softening the minds of the people they saw as “uncivilized”, the British Colonial Masters were taking their resources away for the development of their home countries. The result is that Bali was left to face acute

starvation and hunger. In this[1] way, colonialism continued to destroy Bali economy, technology and self-reliant development just as the slave raiders and Jihadists had done. This was how the whole of Baliland became a British possession at the beginning of the 20th Century like any other ethnic nationality in Nigeria. Indeed, slave trade and colonialism were the major forces that set back Bali development. The slave raiders dominated Bali homeland and the British exploited Bali homeland and the British exploited Bali resources. Throughout colonial period, the Bali struggled to free himself from colonial domination. In 1913, for example, one of the Bali men short and wounded a British Touring Officer who had gone to Bali for head account. In reprisal, Bali village was attacked and destroyed by the British punitive expedition. It took the people years to build their village. But this did not stop the people from opposing the British actively or passively. On 1st October 1960, however, the Bali people together with the rest of the ethnic groups in the country gained political independence from Britain.

BALI TODAY Bali land today is a shadow of its pre-colonial setting. Both the settlements and the traditional institutions have lost their glory. It will appear that Bali became famous on account of its

preeminence in farming and military powers. The existence of fertile soil, abundant rainfall and iron ore enabled the people of Bali lands to produce more food crops and military equipment than the neighbouring Yandang, Bwatye and, possibly, many other inhabitants of the surrounding area. But this fame for food crops production and military powers was completely lost by the beginning of the 20th century with the result that today not only is military powers no longer displayed by the people but even the agriculture which is the mainstay of the economy of the people has declined greatly. Nevertheless, the Kpaneship is still in existence. But even then, the Kpane (District and village heads) no longer performs traditional functions which are largely spiritual in nature. These include directing religious festivals of Tamtale among the Bali and Pille among the Yotti, held in November and Yale held between October and December. These festivals hitherto served as unifying factors where the young people in the society come to meet and make friends with each other. Not only that, it was during Tamtale (pille) that the age-grade system among the people was perfected. These social gatherings have virtually vanished without any attempt to revive them, thereby reducing the people into inconsequential elements in Adamawa and Taraba States. One would have taught that what Bali may have lost in the colonial period they have more than made up for in the postcolonial Nigeria. But on the contrary, the people did not make for anything they lost during colonial period. In spite of the

fact that the Bali were given opportunities by other ethnic nationalities to make up for by electing and appointing them as Chairmen

of

Local

Government

Councils,

Vice-Chairmen

members of the State Assemblies, Directors in States and Federal Ministries, they could not make up for what they lost during the colonial period. The people wasted the opportunities and are now at the mercy of hunger, starvation prevalence of diseases like HIV/AIDS and Malaria. A people faced with these myriad of problems are bound to be indolent and reserved. This make the people to become like a mud fish always eating its tail during dry season when it is severed from water and food. Thus, a man from Bali will prefer to vote a non-Bali into the elected position than to vote for his brother from Yotti, Dem and so on. Those who are interested in the backwardness and lack of progress of the Bali people have always use this disunity among the Bali for their own advantage. No one among the Bali seems to understand this dangerous trend. Worse still, respect for elders in the Bali society has since become a thing of the past. Instead, indiscipline among the youths is the order of the day. There is no doubt that the society is seriously dislocated socially. Perhaps, we need another set of Danish missionaries or missionaries from Israel or elsewhere to assist these youth to locate their bearings in the scheme of things in Bali society. But that is a wishful thinking. We must wake up ourselves.

BALI TOMORROW In spite of the fact that Bali society is at the cross road of total decay and collapse, this situation can be reversed for the better in the years ahead. The Bali leaders should as a matter of urgency adopt what we may call “grave-yard” strategy in tackling their socially political and economic problems. The grave-yard strategy entails giving the sense of direction and purpose through the provision of basic social amenities. This will take the form of portable water supply, electricity, network of roads,

fertilizer,

functional

educational

system,

especially

vocational education. This will then call for intensive lobbying of the stakeholders in the education industry, economic sector and political endeavour. The Bali personalities both in Tagombali, Kwafara, Yotti, Bomni and Bali etc should put their contacts and diplomacy to play in order to secure some share of states (Adamawa and Taraba) and Federal Government facilities for the entire Bali society. The personalities that are better placed to do this job include politicians, academics, soldiers, polite, seasoned Bali administrators, religious dignitaries and women folk. But meeting the basic needs of the people in terms of water supply, good roads, schools etc is not enough. The people, especially

the

youths

should

be

empowered

politically

and economically. As regards to economic empowerment, one would advocate for “Bali economic summit.” It is during the summit that economic problems facing the Bali nation will be discussed. This summit should be followed by education summit where the issue of vocational and technical education will feature

prominently. This forum will also discuss the ways and means through which Bali culture will be reviewed. The destiny and future of Bali society lies in the hands of its citizens. The Bali society will be for better if we discourage disunity among ourselves. “United we stand, divided we fall,” says on English adage. In conclusion, we have seen how Bali as a people started their journey in Nigeria, the intrigues and hussles they passed and are still passing through. In the process of their journey into the Nigerian troubled waters, they have acquired a lot of experiences whether bad or good, the Bali society will be for the better in the years to come if they take their destiny and future into their own heads. By Isaac Pamni +234 807 9590 523, 805 8468 918, 806 5085 350 [email protected], [email protected] Reference: a) Keynote Address Delivered by J. P. Dada (NHSN) during Maya first

Anniversary Celebration In Abuja, on 10th November, 2007. b) Earnest, Engskor (1983). Adamawa Province: Reflections and

Gongola State London: Rooting Publicly Company. c) Bali Oral Tradition and Custom. d) Personal Interviewed of some elderly persons in the community.

[1]Earnest,

Engskor (1983). Adamawa Province : Reflections and Gongola State London : Rooting Publicly Company. P. 179. __________________________________________________