BRIEF HISTORY OF BABA GONTO, ZAAR LEGEND OF ALL TIME.

Baba Gonto is a historic and iconic great man of the likes of Nelson Mandela, he was born in Mwari village of the present Bogoro L.G.A. Bauchi State Nigeria, to a Royal family in 1882. He bravely bolted out of the orthodox and champion the Sayawa struggle for self rule. He was the first christian convert in Sayawa land in 1926 that helped to proselytize many sayawa people in the community.

                        Because of his deep conviction of the concept of Justice as espoused in the christian teaching constituted the motivation in which he plunged himself uncompromisingly into the struggle for equity and fair treatment in the scheme of things. He successfully galvanized the sayawa people around the theme of self rule in the old Lere district (present Lere and Bogoro district) with headquarters in Tafawa Talewa.

            Baba Gonto was a consummate believer of any just course, selling out the course of his people was unthinkable. Even though he has the royal blood ties and inherited over 300 cattle from his father, he opted for self denial and surrendered his wealth in pursuit of justice and common good of his people, he was a leader per excellent who espoused the leadership style of empathy.

           The whole Sayawa struggle for self-determination which dates back to decades has been tied to a particular geographical area, the legitimate boundaries of the Chiefdom is the pre-1977 Lere district (present Lere and Bogoro district). Gonto spearheaded the struggle without fear or equivocation. In the course of the struggle he was Incarcerated and molested by elements and operatives of the Bauchi native authority, the resultant effect was the 1948 and 1959 riots. In the cause of dogged and uncompromising stance He was detained several times, he died in the year 2000 at the age of 118 years.

           To sum it all Gonto was a visionary, poet, orator, diplomat and a man of peace. Indeed he is a rare model in which all Sayawa people should emulate.

Story credit: Bar. Bala Gambar. Former ZDA National President.