Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 122
At the same time a further deputation of twenty-eight persons including six influential elders were
offering their surrender at Johode. In the evening of that day half the police detachment returned
to Gwoza… The remainder of the force followed early next day, their departure being watched in
a perfectly cordial atmosphere by some thirty villagers who had come to the Rest House, thus
indicating that affairs were rapidly returning to normal.
The report subsequently attempts a first examination of the possible reasons for the
disturbances, stating that ‘the full facts may not yet have been revealed… It did, however,
soon become apparent that one of the main underlying reasons for their behaviour was their
[Dghweɗe of Ghwa’a] basic distrust of the Re-Settlement Scheme'. Interestingly, the report
continues by pointing out 'that in its original form the Scheme was never intended for the
Azaghvana Clan…':
It was at the outset intended for the Clans either further to the north or on the western foothills
who were, unlike the Azaghavanas, descending of their own volition in large numbers to farm on
the plains; but when it was found that the only suitable agricultural land lay to the south in what
might be called the Azaghavana zone of influence, then it seemed only reasonable that they should
be offered first refusal of it. Unfortunately, however, the true purpose of the Scheme does not
appear to have been fully comprehended by them, and rumours circulated extensively throughout
the hills to the effect that the Clans would be forced to descend to the plains en bloc where they
would revert to slave status.
The report continues to discuss the reasons behind those 'rumours' but cannot discover any
evidence for 'malicious intent'. The district head knew about the rumours and the 'widespread
malaise in the hills' caused by them, and allegedly intended 'to counter this to the best of his
ability during the wet season'. Unfortunately, according to the report, the district head had
been ill between June and September, and when he returned to his duties he allegedly rushed
the recruitment process of 35 settlers '…and as a result some of the recruits, including those
from Johode, were nominees rather than volunteers'.
The report then lays most of the blame on Baraya, the chima (messenger) of the district head,
and the senior hamlet head of Ghwa’a, 'Bulama Fulata', plus his three fellow hamlet heads.
The report informs us that the three elected spokesmen of the Dghweɗe of Ghwa’a, who gave
evidence on behalf of the community, made this allegation:
…all these three men claimed that for the last three years the Senior Hamlet Head, Bulama Fulata,
later to be aided and abetted by his three fellow hamlet heads and by messenger Baraya, had been
levying taxes on the villagers and behaving in a generally autocratic manner. The spokesmen
further stated that they had recently decided to lay their grievances before the touring Officer and
the District Head, but that as the normal channel of approach was through those very hamlet heads
against whom they were complaining they were in a quandary as to how to implement their
decision.
The report concludes that lawan Buba was unlawfully killed whilst representing the district
head of Gwoza on duty in the village. Because the villagers themselves admitted their guilt
and no section of the population had sought to exonerate itself from blame, section 4(I) of the
already mentioned 'Collective Punishment Ordinance' was applied, allowing for the
mitigating factors of which we quote the following two:
(a) The provocation given to the villagers by their hamlet heads and Baraya both during the past
months and, particularly in the case of Baraya, immediately prior to the killing of Lawan Buba.
(b) The distrust and suspicion engendered by the rumours [of forced descend] circulating about the
Pilot Re-Settlement Scheme.
The inhabitants of Ghwa’a were 'fined the sum of £80' and 'blood money, at the standard rate
of five cows' to lawan Buba’s relatives which would be deducted from the fine. It was also
recommended that:
(a) Baraya be tried before a competent Native Court for provoking a breach of the peace at Johode
on 10th October, 1953.
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