By Henry Akubuiro, Lagos
A History of Biu, Bukar Usman, Klamidas Communications Ltd, Abuja, 2022; pp.693
In the concluding part of A History of Biu, the author, Bukar Usman, continues with the same adroitness he began the Biu chronicles. Perhaps aware that photos tell some stories better, the prolific author dedicates 36 glossy pages to photos of (domestic) trees, leaves, fruits, nuts, corns, tuberous vegetables, legume and other foods that abound in the emirate. As noted in the previous review, Biu Emirate is an agrarian society –in fact, one of the food baskets of the Northeast and neighbouring Cameroon.
Pictures of domestic animals found in the area are also showcased, among which are horses, donkeys, pigs and cattle. Some of the wild animals in the same territory remind strangers of rare animals seen in National Geographic documentaries. These include hyena, zebra, reed buck, waterbuck, giraffe, leopard, warthog, jakal, rhinoceros, anteater, antelope, monkey, fox, lion, porcupine, gorilla, baboon, elephant, cheetah, iguana, etcetera.
The water creatures commonly found in Biu and documented in A History of Biu include but not limited to tortoise, crocodile, hippopotamus, tilapia fish and crab. The book also contains pictures of insects, notable trees, public buildings and palaces of some district heads, traditional architectures, clinics and hospitals, and others.
A History of Biu, in keeping with the Usman tradition, offers extra nuggets of information, tables and maps from Apendix 1-36, teeming with vital, historical documents relevant to the Biu royalty and other landmark developments captured in photos, making it a researcher’s goldmine.
Also, 43 of the clans in Biu are mentioned, just as the list of administrative officers in charge of the Biu area, those who have governed the local government area of Biu either as chairmen, sole administrators or caretaker chairmen are also mentioned. Appendix 18 details a comprehensive list of districts in Biu Emirate comprising Hawul, Kwaya Kusar, Bayo and Biu local government areas.
The author, in addition, furnishes us with abundant mineral resources found not only in Biu Emirate but also in the entire Borno State (Appendix 16). A History of Biu is suffused with names of all the headmasters that have served in Biu Central Primary School from 1924 when it was established to the date of the book’s first publication. We also have a comprehensive list of traditional soups in Biu territory from Misha/Mizha (okro soup) to Sukwar Dana (soup made of dana leaves).
Appendix 26 contains an interesting summary of the transcription of Manyan Gyara (Development Leadership) documentary Programme aired on NTA Maiduguri in 1989, which gave a background to the establishment of Biu royal dynasty, a biographical account of the then reigning Kuthli of Biu, Alhaji Mustapha Aliyu, his demise and burial, as well the process of the choice of appointment of his successor, Alhaji Umar Mustapha Aliyu. Its Hausa equivalent appears in Appendix 27.
With this book, Dr. Usman has set a standard on how to write a contemporary history book. Every minute detail concerning the people of Biu Emirate is included to enhance ethnological studies. From page 647 to 668, the reader is invited to view maps locating Biu Emirate and its vital components, locations of Biu’s former and present capitals, general layout of Biu Town in late 19th century, and its neighbours in Borno, Adamawa and Gombe states.
A History of Biu ends with Appendix 36 in which the author spotlights world events covering the periods from 2006 to 2014 when Dr. Usman researched and wrote A History of Biu. Some of these include the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006, the Arab Spring that started in Tunisia on December 18, 2010 and spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan and Syria, among other international events.