A History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1) 

By: Balami Lazarus 

The Bura-Pabir question has been on the front burner among the Bura and Pabir people in recent times. I was privileged to have read some works, both soft and hard copies, where such issues were briefly raised and treated lightly with no rationality or objectivity, plugged in historical infidelity, dishonesty, and bankruptcy by some authors and writers. 

Unfortunately, this seems to be the preferred trajectory and ho-hum of these authors and writers, who relied more on hypothesis than empirical evidence, misleading some to believe that Bura and Pabir are the same in history, culture, and tradition. Thus, they have saturated the Bura and Pabir spaces with wrong information and sentiments that lack historical viscosity because of the absence of essential historical ingredients to lubricate them. 

And these authors and writers want some of us to believe in their works as historical caveats. Was there Pabir as a people, circa 1535 AD? Definitely No. Why join this distinct group of people together? The protagonists of this porous notion are deliberately out to destroy and erase the origin, history, culture, and tradition of the Bura ethnic nation. 

Therefore, their origin, history, and tradition are interwoven in their cultural source materials as part of their civilization. Never before now, there were no people known, called, and addressed as Pabir who are today wrongfully addressed as Babur by many who are not aware of their origin. Pabir is the name given to them by the Bura, who are the aborigines of the vast area known as the Biu Plateau (Viu original name and spelling) in northeast Nigeria. 

Take notice that the word pabir is a noun that is related to a living thing, such as a species of ant While Babur is nowhere to be found in the Bura language as a noun or verb, And for this reason, a Bura man has for long distanced himself from being called and addressed as a Pabir or Babur man. 

In history, I was taught that man is the source of history and its source materials are logged in economic and socio-political activities that formed his growth and development over a period of time. In this regard, you can never remove man from historical developments or otherwise. And when I read the work of one Dr. Bukar Usman, “A History of Biu” (22015), I have been trying to put it behind me, but my sense of history and discipline as a historian could not permit me to withstand the erroneousness and falsification I noticed in the said work in question, where Dr. Bukar was able to catalogue, classify, and index the exploits of Yamtra-WWala and those he met, fought, and conquered. 

Who are the people with whom he fought?  Therefore, I decided to put up this write-up as my contribution to this issue. I hope my teachers who taught me history will not be disappointed but rather be proud of some of the subjective knuckle punches I launched herein. However, I commend Dr. Usman in his attempt to bring Biu history to the fore, having limited the scope of his work to the emergence of the Biu Royal Dynasty, dwelling more on wars and conquests led by Prince Abdullah, Yamtra, and Ola (original Bura spelling) of the Kanem Empire from Birnin N’gazargamu, a Kenembu by tribe, with his band of 70 men who the Pabir traced their patrilineal origin to. 

How it was changed to Yamtra: Wala came probably at the same time with the change from Pabir to Babur. The author, Dr. Bukar Usman, attempted to historically re-engineer Bura history to de-historize it of its Buranization properties in a gerrymeandering scheme simply to de-Buranize the Bura people in the History of Biu of their ethnic qualities, who see themselves as homogeneous tribes in language, culture, and tradition as their source materials.

Take, for instance, the yearly Bura Cultural Festival known as Marama Day. Where is the Pabir culture then? And why are some people deceiving others into thinking that Bura and Pabir are the same? Note that the Bura man is not, will not, shall not, and never will he call or address himself as a Pabir or Babur man, as they are wrongly addressed. Bura and Pabir are parallel to each other in culture, tradition, and language. 

One is a dialect twisted in the concept of Babur. While the other is a tribe in a body of ethnic nation.  As a page filler, Dr. Usman said “Wild Animals Commonly Found in Biu Territory,” such as tigers, cheetahs, ostriches, giraffes, zebras, and others. The tigers mentioned by the author in his book are not natives of the African wild and can never be found in the Biu Plateau wild territory. 

Therefore, tigers have never lived freely in Africa except in captivity in zoos and parks. What we have are leopards (Tengvwa) in the Bura language. I will hereby, on a historical affidavit, put it to you, Dr. Bukar Usman, that you are wrong and have inflicted maximum fatal historical injury to the wild life history of Biu Plateau. 

Balami, a publisher and columnist.

A History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1) 

Soyinka, nine others bag Cambridge varsity honorary degrees

Nigerian Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, was, alongside nine others, conferred with an honorary degree from the University of Cambridge.

One of the most prestigious honours in the world, the Cambridge varsity honorary degree is bestowed upon people “who have made outstanding achievements in their respective fields,” the varsity’s official site noted.

The ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, was held at the varsity’s Senate House with over 400 staff, students and other guests in attendance.

Chancellor of the varsity, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, presided over the ceremony, which was conducted in Latin and English.

Soyinka, who is a playwright, poet, novelist and political activist, won the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.

He has held visiting appointments at higher institutions in Cambridge, Legon, Atlanta, and Yale.

Recipients of this year’s University of Cambridge’s honorary degree, asides from Soyinka, include Ghanian philosopher, Professor Kwame Appiah; literary scholar, Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr; developmental biologist, Professor Edith Heard; music composer, Dr Judith Weir; and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Dr Ali Smith.

Other recipients, who are all professors, include mathematical physicist, Sir Roger Penrose; developmental biologist, Elizabeth Robertson; art historian, Simon Schama; ad molecular biologist, John Walker.

Soyinka is presently a Professor Emeritus of Dramatic Literature at the Obafemi Awolowo University.

Strike: Labour appeals to ASUU to shift ground

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has appealed to the striking university lecturers to shift ground in their demands by making some concessions so that students can return to school.

Mr Monday Ogbodum, Cross River chapter Chairman of the TUC, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Tuesday.

Ogbodum said the Academy Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had “clearly” made their points known to the world with the prolonged strike and advised the government not to always allow issues to degenerate to strike before taking action.

The labour leader further added that government should always put human face to its action or inaction in dealing with labour unions, to avoid prolonged industrial action in the country.

He noted that the peculiarity of university education was such that strike should not be allowed as an option for agitation or meeting the needs of workers.

The TUC Chairman said it would be difficult to regain the loss ground in Nigeria tertiary education system becaue of the industrial action by the university lecturers in the last two years.

According to him, “While I’m appealing to the ASUU to shift ground, I also ask the government to always put human face in their action.

“ASUU has proven its points to the government; the strike is justifiable but ASUU should also know that negotiations are always a win-win situation and not winner takes all.

“Our children have suffered enough and most of us do not have the resources to send our children abroad or private universities.

“I make bold to tell you that even the lecturers have their own pains from this strike.”

Ogbodum, however, condemned the no- work-no-pay policy of the government.

The union had declared a total strike in February to compel government to act on a variety of issues that had lingered between both parties for years.

Strike: Labour appeals to ASUU to shift ground