Atikpakpa—Afrikatɔwo ƒe Blemadɔ Aɖe

Etso Nyɔ! ƒe nuŋlɔla si le Nigeria gbɔ

ƔEYIƔI didi aɖee nye sia si atikpalawo le dɔ dzi le Benin City, si le afisi nye anyiehe Nigeria fifia. Ƒe alafa ene enye esia la, Benin City nye ave nutome fiaɖuƒe sesẽ aɖe si me ɖoɖo blibo nɔ la ƒe fiadu. Dugã la ƒe mɔ gbadza siwo dzɔ, eƒe xɔ siwo le ɖoɖo nyui me, kple dua me tɔ siwo ŋu bubu le eye wonye sedziwɔlawo la wɔa nuku na amedzro siwo tso Europa va. Benin City nye ɣetoɖoƒe Afrika ƒe asitsaƒe kple dekɔnu teƒe vevitɔwo kekeake dometɔ ɖeka ƒe alafa geɖe.

Fia siwo woyɔna be oba siwo ɖua dzi kplɔa wo nɔewo ɖoe ɖu Benin-fiaɖuƒea dzi. Obawo de aɖaŋudɔwɔwɔ dzi vevie. Nusiwo ɖoa atsyɔ̃ na woƒe fiasã dzeania me le Benin City enye ametakpakpɛwo, nu dzeani siwo wota ɖe gadzẽ dzi wotsɔ ku gli ŋu, kple nyiɖunu nyuitɔ siwo wokpa aɖaŋutɔe. Togbɔ be ɣeyiɣiwo ƒe yiyi kple baba gblẽ blema atikpakpɛawo hã la, edze ƒã be atikpalawo wɔ dɔ le fiaɖuƒea me kpɔ. Martins Akanbiemu si nye Dukɔa ƒe Blemanudzraɖoƒe si le Lagos dzikpɔla tsã la ŋlɔ be: “Edze abe atikpalawo ƒe habɔbɔe . . . nye ha xoxotɔ kekeake si wɔ dɔ na Oba la kpɔ ene.”

Le ƒe 1897 me la, Britain-srafowo ha Benin City me nuwo eye wolɔ eƒe asinudɔ siwo nye kesinɔnu xɔasiwo fifia la dzoe yi Europa—wosɔ gbɔ wu ɖekaɖeka 2,000. Egbea la, menye Nigeria ye wotsɔ Benintɔwo ƒe blemaɖaŋudɔ gbogbotɔwo kekeake ɖo agbae le o, ke London kple Berlin blemanudzraɖoƒewoe wotsɔ wo ɖo agbae le.

Egbegbe ƒe Atikpakpa

Hloloetsotso le Benin City egbea abe alesi wòle le Nigeria-dugã bubu geɖe me ene. Gake ŋutikɔkɔe si nɔ eŋu tsã la ƒe nanewo gali. Wogbugbɔ fiasã la tu, eye afimae oba si li fifia le. Àte ŋu akpɔe be woɖe tsimɔ gã globo aɖe ƒo xlã blema dugã la kpɔ; eye ne èɖo to nyuie la, àse atikpafi ƒe ɖiɖi le ati ŋu kɔe kɔe kɔe.

Ŋutsu aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Johnson le atinuwo kpakpa dzi le Benin City ƒe 20 sɔŋ enye sia. Le ƒe alafa siwo va yi me la, ame kukuwo dzie wotsɔa ameta siwo wotsɔ ati kple gadzẽ kpae la ɖoa ŋkui; wotsɔ ɖoa atsyɔ̃ na tɔgbui kukuwo subɔlawo ƒe vɔsamlekpuiwoe. Gake ameta siwo Johnson kpana la meɖi tsãtɔ siwo wozãna le subɔsubɔ me o. Atsyɔ̃ɖonuwo koe etɔwo nye.

Keyi, si nye ati sesẽ si nya kpanae Johnson zãna. Ati tu, alo emetɔe wòzãna. Togbɔ be fli to ati aɖewo ƒe tu me alo woƒe amadede le flukpee kple yibɔɔ hã la, Nigeria ƒe keyiti ƒe tu nyɔ vĩ. Ezãa atia ƒe bɔbɔeƒe, alo ekɔgo tsɔ kpaa nu hã; enana be amadede dzẽ si nya kpɔna la nɔa eme eye wònɔa yibɔa dome. Keyi dzẽ kple yibɔa daa dzo nyuie ne wosi nu na wo.

Keyi bɔ ɖe Nigeria ŋutɔ. Ne wotso keyiti la, zi geɖe wogblẽnɛ ɖe gbeme ɣleti ʋee aɖewo be tsi naƒu le eme. Ne keyitia va ɖo Johnson ƒe dɔwɔƒe gɔ̃ hã la, eganaa atia nɔa anyi ɣleti geɖe bene wòaƒu nyuie hafi wòazãe. Esia le vevie elabena ne atia meƒu o la, ate ŋu atro ahafe.

Ne Johnson di be yeakpa nu la, etsɔa laxalaxa lãa atia wòdidina vie wu afɔ ɖeka. Ne Johnson lala kwasiɖa bubu gava yi be yeaka ɖe edzi be atia mefe o la, etsɔa chalk taa ameta si ƒomevi wòdi be yeakpa la ɖe atia ŋu, emegbe edzea dɔ gɔme.

Gbã la, ezãa fi si le gbadzɛ, emegbe ezãa gobɛ tɔ, eye azɔ ezãa esi ƒe nugbɔ le sue. Emegbe etsɔa nuƒlɔga lilia eŋu. Azɔ etsɔa atikpala ƒe hɛ ɖea eŋu nyuie. Johnson nana eƒe ŋku nɔa atia ŋu nyuie ne wòle dɔ wɔm. Ŋumaɖɔɖo ate ŋu awɔe be atikpakpɛa ƒe nukoko natrɔ bubui alo eƒe ŋku nanɔ teƒe bubu kpɔm.

Ne Johnson kpa nua vɔ la, eƒe dɔsrɔ̃viwo tsɔa nuŋuzrɔ̃gbalẽ siwo le ƒlatsa kple esiwo zrɔ̃ lilia eŋui. Mlɔeba la, wosisia ami si wosina ɖe ati ŋu alo afɔkpa ŋu nɛ eye wotsɔa afɔkpaŋututunu tutua eŋu be wòada dzo. Ameta ati tɔ siwo le nɔnɔmetatawo me la kpakpa xɔa ŋkeke eve. Eŋuzɔzrɔ̃ kple amisisi nɛ xɔa ŋkeke etɔ̃ bubu.

Ne wowu nukpakpaa nu la, Johnson danɛ ɖi ɣleti ʋee aɖewo be fefeƒe aɖeke nagatsi eŋu o. Ne atia ƒu nyuie hafi wodze ekpakpa gɔme la, mafe o. Nenemae wòdzɔna zi geɖe. Ne teƒe aɖe fe la, wotrɔnɛ yia dɔwɔƒea eye woxenɛ, zrɔ̃a eŋu, eye wogasia ami nɛ.

Atikpadɔa Sɔsrɔ̃

Dɔsrɔ̃vi ade siwo xɔ tso ƒe 10 va ɖo ƒe 18 ye le Johnson si. Dɔa ƒe nuwuwu dzie wosrɔ̃a atikpadɔa tsonɛ, wosrɔ̃a dɔ mamlɛtɔ hafi va srɔ̃a gbãtɔ. Le ɖoɖo sia nu la, amisisie dɔsrɔ̃via srɔ̃na gbã. Emegbe esrɔ̃a eŋuzɔzrɔ̃. Emegbe wofiaa nuƒlɔga zazãe, Ʋeʋeʋe la, eva ɖoa gbesigbe wòléa fi gbadzɛ tɔ hekpaa atikpo yeye ŋu.

Johnson gblɔ be: “Menye amesiamee ate ŋu anye atikpala o. Gbã la, ele be aɖaŋu nanɔ tagbɔ na wò eye wò susu nanɔ dɔ ŋu. Ele hã be nàsrɔ̃ alesi nàgbɔ dzi ɖi na wò dɔnyanya kple alesi nàdo dzi ne mèle nane nyam o. Èhiã dzidodo hã, elabena exɔa ƒe etɔ̃ teti hafi wonyea atikpala nyui. Gake mevɔ o—dɔa sɔsrɔ̃ mewua enu gbeɖe o. Ne èle dɔa dzi la, àganɔ enyam ɖe edzi ɣesiaɣi.”

[Aɖaka/Nɔnɔmetata si le axa 30]

Baba Kple Atikpala La

Ame aɖewo gblɔna be ele be woada akpe na baba ɖe Afrikatɔwo ƒe aɖaŋudɔ sia ta. Ne atikpala kpa nane vɔ la, ɣeaɖewoɣi kaka ŋkeke ʋee aɖewo nava yi ko ke baba (kpakple anyigbaxɔdzowo dzi ƒe yame ƒe nɔnɔme) va gblẽa edome! Le ƒe alafawo me la, baba na atikpala nɔa dzɔ dzi. Enye nu ɖeka gbugbɔgawɔ madzudzɔmadzudzɔe evɔ wòɖea vi: Baba va gblẽa nua dome, eye atikpala la gadzea egɔme, eye mɔnukpɔkpɔwo ʋuna nɛ be wòaɖɔ eƒe ŋutete ɖo eye atsyã yeyewo gavaa susu me nɛ.

Agbalẽ si nye African Kingdoms gblɔ be: “Ati ƒe vovo kple baba kutrikula la koŋ ye wɔe be mɔnukpɔkpɔ aɖeke megali be megbeviwo nawɔ dɔ ɖe tsãtɔwo ƒe atsyãwo dzi o. Eyata ewɔe be ehiã be woato nu yeyewo vɛ ɣesiaɣi, eye mɔnukpɔkpɔ gã aɖe va ʋu ɖi be nuawo ƒe nɔnɔme natrɔ; womegakpɔa ame bubu ƒe dɔ wɔna tututu o, eye amewo va zãa woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ŋutete kple aɖaŋu geɖe wu.”

Ame aɖewo gblɔ be baba kple atikpala dome nya siae na wonya afisi nutaɖaŋu nyui si le Afrikatɔwo ƒe asinudɔwo ŋu si na woxɔ ŋkɔ nenema gbegbe la tso. Agbalẽnyalagã Willian Fagg ŋlɔ le eƒe agbalẽ si nye Nigerian Images me be: “Mina . . . míada akpe na baba, si togbɔ be nusiwo wòwɔna medzea amegbetɔ ŋu o hã la, etsɔ ƒe alafawo kple ƒe akpewo le nyaʋiʋli si me viɖe le la dzi kple atikpala si le anyigbaxɔdzo dzi.”

[Picture Credit Line]

Le Dk. Richard Bagine ƒe mɔɖeɖe nu

[Nɔnɔmetata siwo le axa 29]

Alesi wokpaa nui:

1. atikpo nyuitɔ kekeake tiatia,

2. ta si woakpa ƒe fli tete,

3. atikpafi zazã, 4. eŋu lili, 5. amisisi