Book documents history of Asholio people in Nigeria
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Ben Adam Shemang, a journalist from Nigeria, published “The Asholio Heritage,” a 409-page book detailing the history, identity, and culture of the Asholio people of Southern Kaduna.
Shemang, previously a director with the Voice of Nigeria (VON), compiled the book through extensive research, aiming to preserve knowledge of a community whose traditions are changing. The book explores many aspects of Asholio life, including their clans, Alutswe, Abvuat, Azam, and Aswua, political organization, religious practices, and unique customs.
Shemang traces the Asholio people’s origins through several different accounts, including theories linking them to various regions like Bauchi and Zaria. He also addresses how outside observers have referred to the Asholio people by different names, such as Moroa or Marwa. “The Asholio Heritage” includes details often absent from formal records, like the Asholio people’s mathematical symbols and a taboo against women eating eggs. Shemang included photographs and illustrations of traditional tools, clothing, and settlements to enhance the book’s appeal.
Fr. Benjamin Yakubu Bala wrote the foreword, praising the work as a valuable contribution to documenting the Asholio heritage, blending colonial accounts with local experiences. Shemang hopes his book will encourage further research and literary works about the Asholio people, providing a foundation for others to build upon. He wrote the book to spark debate and provide insight into the Asholio people’s history, politics, and culture.
