31/10/2022
Origin of Nakohagu(Butchers) in Dagbɔŋ
Naa Dimani was a butcher. Naa Dimani(Naɣa zuɣu Mali viԑli Ku Ӡi kaaya,Bindiriginli,Binbiԑɣu bia) was a prince of Naa Zolgu. The origin of "Nakohagu" outlasts the reigns of Naa Dimani. During the reigns of Naa Zolgu,one ancient Iddrisa from the Hausa extraction trading activities took him to the fount of authority which was located within our present day Diare zone. Iddrisa's businesses really boomed for him when he came to Dagbɔŋ. Even before that, Iddrisa had been sent to Naa Zolgu to pay his homage and as part of the Dagbɔŋ unmatched hospitality, Iddrisa was hosted comfortably. During this era in question, "Nakohagu" was more or less the preserve of the king for the kings always more often provided the animals(most especially cattles) for onward slaughter and later to be sold to customers. The honour of their Namship won't allow them the space to operate as businessmen and those who the animals were given to for slaughter and prepare for sales were referred to as "Naa Ko ha" which literally means the kings affiliated trader. Etymologically, It was as its result that the official "Nakohagu" was drawn from and formally carved out of. The money accrued from the sales of the beefs were given back to kings.
The ancient Iddrisa saw that,the manner with which Dagbɔŋ did the slaughtering wasn't the best because a spear was what the ancient Dagombas uses to strike in between the neck of the animal. This informs Iddrisa's decision to request a meeting with Naa Zolgu. Iddrisa's permission was granted where he used that opportunity to admonished before the king procedures employed by dagombas in slaughtering animals. Iddrisa called on Naa Zolgu to permit him slaughter and skin for when it was necessary to. An opportunity came and there he(Iddrisa) was summoned as he requested and Iddrisa slaughtered the animal with his knife and skinned it to the full admiration of all. The carcass skin was sent to Naa Zolgu as evidence. Naa Zolgu ordered that, Iddrisa should take full control over the slaughtering and skinning of these animals and those who were deeply involved in the "Nakohagu" businesses were commanded and instructed by Naa Zolgu to adopt to Iddrisa's procedure as it was regarded the best and safest of procedures.
When the ancient Iddrisa embarked on his trading expedition to Dagbɔŋ, he brought along with him two(2) of his daughters namely;A- Rahamatu and Dahali. Both ladies were all well matured. In Dagbɔŋ, a child refers to his father as "Mba" whiles these ladies constantly called theirs(Iddrisa) as "Baba" as their Hausa tongue taught them to. Dagombas were not too conversant with the name "Iddrisa" hence,their swift adoption and reference to "Iddrisa" as "Baba" which his daughters called him by. And as Iddrisa took control of the King's affiliated trading in animals,anytime he got to the Gbewaa palace,Naa Zolgu addressed him by the name "Baba" and elders & commoners took it from there by addressing Iddrisa as "Naa Baba". "Naa Baba" changed from time to time to "Yidana Baba" which still means the same. One of Iddrisa's daughters by name A-Rahamatu was entrusted to Naa Zolgu and then given the chieftaincy title of " Napaɣa Daalabi" as expected to be given to wives of the king. The Union between Naa Zolgu and A-Rahamatu(Napaɣa Daalabi) brought forth Naa Dimani and Dawuni respectively. As Naa Dimani grew into complete adultship whiles his younger brother Dawuni was still at his puberty stage,their maternal grandfather(Baba Iddrisa) was still engaged into the butchering business and they occasionally paid him visits. Anytime the duo of Naa Dimani and Dawuni visited their maternal grandfather, they were taught and given tidbits about butchering. They were sometimes made to practice it and in the cause of the practice, Baba Iddrisa was fond of cautioning Dawuni with the following lines in his mother tongue(Hausa) "Nyanŋ ka ninŋ" which literally also means; "slice it right on it spot". "Nyanŋ ka ninŋ" became the chorus on the tongue of Dawuni anytime the duo set off from their maternal grandfather (Baba Iddrisa) back to the Gbewaa palace and Dawuni's contemporaries & charges adopted it which subsequently changed to "Yankana" with the passage of time as the Hausa language was alien to them. Dawuni was later nicknamed "Yankana" so don't be surprise to hear oral historians declare that, the union between Naa Zolgu and A-Rahamatu,the daughter of Baba Iddrisa gave birth to Naa Dimani and Yankana.
When Naa Zolgu, their father departed for the hereafter, he was succeeded by their eldest brother(Zuu Zɔnŋ) whom they shared same father with but different mothers. Naa Dimani at this point in time decided to continue with the butchering business since it was one that thrives well for him. Naa Dimani made a lot of money out of the butchering business but none at the time could claim to have been a beneficiary of his largess thus the rational behind people accusing butchers as stingy traders . When Zuu Zɔnŋ also ended his reigns as king of Dagbɔŋ, Naa Ninŋmitooni(Sakpa Lana bia) succeeded him whiles Naa Dimani was still into the butchering business. When Naa Ninŋmitooni also departed,elders in charge of the selection approached Naa Dimani for the vacant Yendi skin which of course he(Naa Dimani) was a qualified claimant to but Naa Dimani hesitated for a moment as he was reluctant to desert his butchering business for the Nam. Naa Dimani was also the oracles favourite as they were consulted.
One day the elders in charge of the selection of the Yaa-Naa were led by Naa Yab-Kuɣu Naa to Naa Dimani to remind him the need to succeed Ninŋmitooni but Naa Dimani could no more stand the pressure mounted on him which compelled him to make the declaration which goes as: " Man ŋmamsila m-fara n-zanŋ lԑbi buni,din zuɣu nam pala kinkansi" and this meant that, "I (Naa Dimani) has managed to make due my poor state into a well wealthy status" . This declaration sent Naa Yab-Kuɣu Naa laughing out uncontrollable haven looked at his colleague elders including Tugri Nam and instructed the drummers to play a tune using that particular line from Naa Dimani's declaration such as : "nam pala kinkansi, nam pala kinkansi" & and the "Big drum" spiced it up with the hausa tune which goes like "Abu baba,yanka". This day marked the beginning of the butchers tune(Nakoha waa) which sends Naa Dimani smiling perfectly and further indicating his acceptance of the Nam and the responsibility of ruling Dagbɔŋ henceforth.
And we all know Dagbɔŋ descended from the great TohaӠiԑ who was into hunting. There lived another veteran hunter as one Mba Munmuuni Challi from Challi Yili in Sanŋ but Challi is a community located around Kpabya which is under the control of Gunsi Naa. He earned himself a hard won reputation & title(Wob koligu) haven hunted down and killed about hundred elephants in his entire hunting career. There was another hunter around Mion by name Zoo Naa at Nakpal Zibiԑ who is also on record to have hunted down two elephants in a single day thereby granting him the laurels of "Wob koligu". The chief of Zulɔɣu sometime back had one of his chief warrior as Buɣa bԑni who was living at Kpanashԑ. He is also believed to have earned himself four different titles in hunting namely; "Dayuɣu Koligu", " ŋmaan koligu", "ŋɔnŋli koligu" and "ŋɔlifu koligu". I talked about these because it is some form and aspect of butchering since it is divided into two(2). One is "Banjo" who plays by "Bonjua" and he is one butcher who trades in animals but does not personally and physically slaughter them and prepare them for onward sales while the other one is what we term locally as "Tantan Pabbu" where the butcher personally and physically slaughter animals and prepare them for onward sales. The components making up a "Banjo" player includes_Gbaɣu(it was initially tied onto the back of the Banjo's player's bike but now it is usually carried by the motor kings in town),Sutɔɣu(Daggerboard) and Gabsi(ropes). And components making up somebody who is into "Tantan pabu" includes; a knife and the meat on a table. The knife is used to slice for the butchers customers. There is one Alhaji Meisuna whose house links up to Alhaji Baba's house located in between the two banks,that place in question is flooded with those into the "Banjo" business. At Guu Naa Yili,precisely some few meters away from the Uds Dungu campus and with one heading towards a community called Zoo where a new market has been set up with a Fulani man as its chairman and a Dagomba man as his vice. Cattle's are what traders trade in and its markets days usually falls on Thursdays. It is full of those who play by the "Bojua". Alhaji Nuhu Jԑrigu now Zobɔɣu Naa was also a known Banjo player.Saɣari Gungonŋ,a famous Dagbani caster has ever engaged in the "Bojua" business. Just at the entrance of Taxi round in Tamale,one Alhaji Samed who is always seated in a container kiosk under the nim tree but was also a famous personality as far as "Bojuo" play was concerned. All the aforementioned personalities are/were known "Banjo" players in Tamale. At my backyard(Yendi), we can mention the likes of Alhaji Abochi,Chԑsuu, Alhaji Issah Nakoha. Those involve in the "Banjo" business employ strategies to weigh the animals before buying them and one is by properly examining the waist of the animal and its standing. "Tantan Pabbu" emergence made the butchering business commercial as already indicated during the reigns of Naa Zolgu when Baba Iddrisa from the Hausa extraction went into the butchering business specifically "Tantan Pabbu". When an animal is slaughtered, it is customarily incumbent on the butcher to leave a portion of the meat that'll be sent to the chief's palace. Alhaji Baba known in public life as Bavum Lana who is around the ADB bank at Sikafuo in Yendi is responsible for the Gbewaa palace's meat. I mentioned one Alhaji Abdulai Abochi and he is the "Yidana Baba". When you get to the fount of authority-Yendi,the king has "Yidana Baba" and "Taribabu" as his butchers chiefs but Naa Biԑli Zohԑ Naa,Naazo Balo Naa and Naazo duɣu(Dugu)"Tikuliya" have all "Baba" and "Nakoha Naa" as their butcher chiefs respectively. When an inherent and true blood butcher aspires for the butchers Namship,he begins with the "Taribabu" and then to "Baba Wulana" from there to "Baba" and finally to "Nakoha Naa Yili" and that is for towns,chiefdoms and communities quite apart from Yendi. But for Yendi,"Baba" is the highest in the rank of the butchers chieftaincy rank. Their appellation goes like: " ŋma puli tabli sabli,koha bala ka chԑ koba, Gablɔrigu bia".
I will do another piece for the blacksmiths too.
IMAGE: Zoggu Lana Alhassan and The late chief of Nyankpala. May soul of the departed chief of Nyankpala rest in perfect peace. May Allah's Rahama be on his soul, Aamii.
Cc: Andani ROYAL Family TV
