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By HRH Dr. Sabo Ajidoku Emmanuel
YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
When your yesterday is gone, you sit in limbo, or, wanderings, wonderingly, at a beach; listening to the whispering water gears, currents, waves,
as they cargo the reeds afloat the tide to an unknown spot. Concentrate on your today, The Has-Been. Your today shall put in the shade, your tomorrow. And truly your yesterday is gone.
-Dr Sabo Ajidoku Emmanuel
To some people, it is a dream, a fantasy, an hallucination. But for some people it is authentic, real and was experienced. Within living memories, were the days of the celebrated Akuzyji, the nomadic fishing expedition of the Awanu people. It was a journey, a movement from their homes or environments in search of bigger catch in far away enterprising lakes, ponds, waters and streams. These Awanu Jukun fishermen were fishing along the river Benue from west to east. And along this fishing route, this period in question, there was no echo of any riparians engaged in this occupation. Then, these waters were richly blessed with fishes, crocodiles, hippopotami, birds of different species, plants etc. Nature then was at its splendor, quite captivating and enticing. That was the boom of the times, past.
The Awanu descent who sojourn in Akuzyji are nomads. Those constant or regular movements have portrayed them as nomads by implication. When the waters are retreating or receeding, these great Awanu fishermen shall set out for the expedition, precisely, in the month of January. Some will sail to the west of the river Benue, while a great population will head the eastwards direction, up to Adamawa and even beyond. It used to be an exciting moment, those days in their lives. They used to enjoy it, more so as their expectations used to be fulfilled. The treasurers realized from these adventures greatly assisted in their finances and other demanding commitments.
From this end of the pull-crowds of people’s voyage, reliably, it was said that Manu Agbenyeba Maliki Azyjidoku was the anchor of the expedition. The moment he sets out, all those who took the eastwards direction, upon hearing that; must drop anchor. Prince Maliki was a man of integrity and was greatly idolized by the Awanu speaking people across board. No waiting upon ceremonies, his charisma made him so. It was even rumoured and speculated that if he had lived longer he would have been a possible candidature for Abisekuship. And just like limpets the people en route sticked to the standing order of the day. Nobody would go the recalcitrant way because of the obvious penalty.
Each householder shall make shift camps at their places of their choice to fish and pile-up fishes and be portaged from their various fish camps or tented villages to the great Onitsha (Anisha) market, east of the Niger. It used to be a profitable experience. Navigating and camping at different harbours before reaching Onitsha ports by boats and canoes and shall return through the same waterways back home, after the sales of the wares, used in the purchase of fishing materials such as; nets, twines, paddles etc. Still on the purchasing list also were clothes, exotic drinks and other paraphernalia.
Fully back in their various homes their towns and villages will be agoged with series of merriments. Everywhere shall be in festive mood. As the Akuzyji people have returned, there would be lots of marriages for the younger ones who had reached marital status. Those who wished to add more wives would do so. The whole climate will be like a trade fair. There will be exchanges of gifts from Akuzyji returnees to parents, other relations and lovers. It used to be moments of joy everywhere. The period also made some land marks in the lives of the people. Visible, were pouring of libations and appeasing the ancestral gods of the land. Even those who had some feuds or quarrels shall seek forgiveness. That period actually reunited the people, as singers filled the evening air with beautiful songs. The people related very well.
While these merriments heighten, the householder (Awasendo) had already prepared and set days for another departure time to Akuzyji fishing expedition. January of every year was the target month. Religiously, this shall be monitored and observed and followed when the day for departure recycled again. But that was then. The glorious days of Akuzyji fishing expedition of ecstasy; the journeys, the pleasantries, the discoveries etc, all these have today gone.At this juncture, it is noteworthy to mention, or observe that with the emergence of some rich and more enterprising waters, lakes, dams outside the shores and the inter-national boundaries have contributed immensely to the sudden dearth of Akuzyji fishing expedition, which used to be within Nigeria. Thus on discovering that the lake Tchad, the Lagdo dam, the waters of the Republic of the Congo, Niger, Equatorial Guinea etc, the Awanu had since migrated en mass to those juicy areas. As a result of this discovery, a great Awanu population was pulled out of the Benue river valleys. The effect was that an empty and tempting vast land was left for occupation by strangers and land mongers for territorial space and its occupation. So, today, what one hears are no longer returnees of Akuzyji nomadic fishing expedition, but what drums the ears are the returnees of the lake Tchad, Lagdo dam, Magba dam, Alo dam, Dingare dam, Bajoga dam, Banjiram dam, Kanshimbela dam, those of the Niger Delta area etc. And for those working in government, one will hear of the returnees of Kaduna, Abuja, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Kano, Plateau, Bauchi, Makurdi etc. They are the names or identification numbers of these faithful Awanu people that are living within and outside Nigeria in search of greener pastures in the presence of the current economic crunch.
Yes, a greed even the places mentioned can be said to be Akuzyji. But this word or term does not apply. This is because Akuzyji stands for a place of fishing, where one goes and returns within a very short time, say 6 to 10 months. Then what is the justification, when somebody has made such a place his permanent home. Truly speaking, the real era of Akuzyji fishing expedition is no more, practically. Nobody even mentions the word these days. The word has even gone into extinction. A good number of Awanu children may not know what you are saying when you mention the word Akuzyji. Today, it is Akuzyji historical. At least there is something to remember and you must have added, the word, Akuzyji to your vocabulary today.
Awanu I fye faah. I fye wanu zyjina.
