On Saturday, January 29, 2022, the Bassa ethnic group, one of the nine indigenous tribes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), held their first annual cultural carnival during which they thrilled spectators from within and outside the territory.
City News was at the event and reports that the cultural carnival, which was held at Government Day Secondary (GDS) Gwagwalada, enthralled spectators with the dance steps of the Bassa as the cultural troupes, decked in their costumes, marched in a procession to the stage to display their culture.
The dance troupes and masquerades gyrated while some elderly Bassa men displayed their magic prowess. There was also an exhibition of the Bassa cultural artefacts at the event.
Speaking at the occasion, chairman of the FCT chapter of Bassa Cultural Development Union (BCDU), Adamu Dazhi, said the event was aimed at preserving the culture of the Bassa who are one of the nine ethnic groups that are indigenous in the FCT.
He said every ethnic group has its culture and traditions, hence, the Bassa tribe in the FCT also have their cultural heritage which he called on members of the BCDU to sustain even beyond their boundaries.
He said the Bassa cultural carnival will not only go a long way in fostering unity among the Bassa ethnic group but also serve in preserving the Bassa culture and traditions, material or immaterial aspect of Bassa cultures, for generations yet unborn.
“It is one the legacies we can bequeath to our children, especially the younger generation, now that there is a noticeable transformation in the society, as a result of urbanization.
“Some of them are termed as civilization, such as mode of dressing, ineffective and inefficient use of language, food pattern, ways of showing courtesy, high level of immorality to mention but few,” he said.
Adamu, therefore, commended the efforts of the organizers of the event for showcasing the rich culture of the Bassa ethnic group in the FCT of such magnitude to the world.
Also speaking, the General Manager of Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) in the FCT, Dr Shuaibu Adamu, a Bassa native of the FCT, who is a member of the BCDU, said the Bassa ethnic group has a national union that cut across the entire country and some parts of the world.
He said the Bassa people could also be found in African countries like Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Mali, adding that the celebration of Bassa cultural carnival by the FCT chapter of BCDU will go a long way to foster unity and peace among not only the Bassa people but other ethnic groups across the nation.
He said also the cultural display of the Bassa ethnic group will avail the present and future generations to see the culture and traditions of their forefathers.
“Besides, sustaining culture and traditions by any ethnic group is very important, as you don’t abandon your culture and embrace another person’s unless where it is against their faith,” he said.
Shuaibu noted that the Bassa cultural festival will serve as an avenue of uniting all Bassa speaking tribes not only in FCT but across other parts of the world where Bassa people reside.
Chief Augustine Abaji Agaba, the Zhege of Bassa land, while speaking on the cultural event, said the coming together of Bassa people in the FCT to organize such cultural carnival has become necessary as an ethnic group that does not want their culture to die.
“Today, we are talking of culture and identity. In FCT here, the Bassa people are one of those who are seeking recognition, as we have nine indigenous citizens or tribes in the FCT. And by alphabetical order, the Bassa are the second and whatever we do, we have to identify ourselves so that the public will know of our existence,” he said.
Chief Agaba said the Bassa reside across the six area councils of the FCT, adding that the cultural event was organised to showcase the culture and traditions of the Bassa indigenous people of the territory.
On his part, the Aguma of Gwomani, His Royal Highness (HRH) Alhaji Adamu Saba, stressed the need for sustaining the Bassa culture and traditions not only in FCT but across the world.
He said the cultural display will go a long way to reawaken some of the Bassa cultures that are almost going into extinction because of the present globalised world.
The monarch noted that the cultural carnival will foster unity and peace among all Bassa people in the FCT, and commended the organisers for making the event a success.
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