Bassa, Kogi State: History of Bassa Local Government Area
Bassa Local Government of Kogi State was created in 1976 from Benue State.
The area known as Bassa Local Government was created in 1976 which is a re-establishment of the Bassa Native Authority that was created by the colonial administration around 1900. Sixty years later this colony however lost its standing as it was merged with the Igala Native Authority in 1960 following a controversial exercise tagged, "reorganization of Native Authorities in the North." Its headquarter sits in Oguma, the adulterated name of the original Agwụma: a thatch made from a leaf called ishɛrɛ and used to roof houses.
Bassa Local Government is boarded to the North by River Benue. In the West by River Niger. To the East by Omala Local Government and to the South by Dekina Local Government. The area comprise the three districts Bassa, Gboloko, and Mozum.
The inhabitants: Bassa komu and Bassa nge belong to different groups, ethnically. As they have between them clear distinctions in tradition, origin, culture, and language. While it is believed that the people called Bassa nge got the nomenclature from the word Babossa (which means fertile land or soil), a popular myth however suggests that as a way to seek for asylum in Bassa land, the people adopted the name. The Bassa people loosely known as the Bassa-komu had arrived here at about 1830's while the Bassa nge arrived at about 1850's. Going further, the suffix "komu" as attached is only popular to the Bassa people of Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State. But the Bassa people in other states and Koton Karfe Local Government Area of Kogi State simply use and are referred to as 'Bassa' or 'Basa'.
The Agụma of Bassa, a first class Chief sitting in Oguma, the headquarter of the area is the traditional head of Bassa Local Government Area and the chairman, Bassa Area Traditional Council.
Bassa Local Government Area has ten political wards from the three districts; Bassa komu district: Akuba I, Akuba II, Akakana/Ayede, Ikende, and Ozongulo; Bassa nge district: Gboloko, Eforo, and Kpata; and Egbura district: Mozum and Ozugbe.
Some notable towns in Bassa Local Government Area includes Oguma (Agwụma), Sheria (the commercial town), Zharikama, Dagba, Kpanchɛ, Eyede, Gbashikere, Akakana, Paruwa, Ikende, Kpokudu, Zenyi, Wussa, Inigwi, Edenyi, Ogodo, Orokwo, and Udogbo from Bassa komu district; Gboloko (headquarter of Bassa nge), Eforo, Emi Guni, Eni Ampamo, Kpata, Shintakwo, Elule, Emi Adama, Ajigido, Emi Audu, and Adum Woiwoi from Bassa nge district; and Mozum (headquarter of Mozum), Biroko, Tekureje, Ugba, Daku Domozu, Ozugbe.
The area bordered to the north and west by rivers Benue and Niger is the agricultural hub of Kogi State due to its high agricultural produce annually. Yam, cassava, rice, guinea corn, millet, beneseed, groundnut, soya beans, et cetera, are produced in high quantities annually. The area is also covered by economic trees which includes Irvingia Gabonensis (Ogbono), Kola Nut, Cashew, Mahogany, Banana, Mango, Orange, Plantain, et cetera.
Apart from the afore mentioned economic factors, the area is also rich in aquaculture with the presence of numerous ponds and rivers for fishing escapades. It has been suggested that aquariums like Minya, Uda ma
nɛ, Iteme in Gbashikere; and Rivine and Ujo all in Bassa komu district can help boost the revenue of the Local Government and in extension, the state if managed properly. …