Raising the stake of Nzem Berom Cultural Festival

A scene from the festivalIsaac Shobayo writes on the recent Nzem Berom festival of the people of Beromland in Jos, Plateau State, concluding that the fiesta has witnessed development in recent years.

The Berom people of Plateau State, occupying four local government, areas of the state, among which are Barakin Ladi, Riyom, and Jos South, are a unique people with peculiar culture and tradition. The dynamism of the people, coupled with their cultural background, has no doubt made them to be a force to be reckoned with in the state. Berom people are believed to have been one of the earliest inhabitants of Jos. Their dialect has so much of Bantu elements just like most ethnic groups in the Middle Belt and South East of Nigeria.

The paramount ruler and custodian of the people’s culture is the Gbong Gwom of Jos, Da Victor Pam, who is also the chairman, Plateau State Council of Chiefs. The land is dotted with various tourist attraction centres, some of which are the Jos Wild Life Park, Rayfiled Resort, Riyom Rock, Kurra Falls, Bachit Rock Formation and many others.

Beromland is also endowed with abundant mineral resources among which are tin and columbite. These, at the earlier stage of the nation’s development, were two of the chief export earners to the government before the discovery of oil. Recently, the people celebrated their annual tradition and cultural festival christened Nzem Berom. It is a common cultural festival of the people which came into being on the April 4, 1981. Ever since then, it has become a yearly event.

The chairman of this year’s Festival Plaining Committee, Chief John Dungs, told the Nigerian Tribune that prior to the advent of the festival, there had been several other festivals such as Vwana, Mandieng, Nshok, Badu, among others in Beromland. Giving a brief history of the festival, he said Nzem Berom came into existence as a result of a growing awareness and the need to have a common festival during which the Berom people and other Nigerians could share their cultural experiences, aesthetics and philosophies through music, dance, costumes and other media of artistic expression.

He said in February 1981, one Mr. Chollom Jack, a cultural officer, was saddled with the responsibility of investigating the different types of cultural festivals in the land. According to Chief Dungs, in this effort, he discovered that Mandieng, Nshock and Badu had the same concept. Hence, their being brought together and given the name Nzem Berom which means Berom Cultural Festival.

Chief Dungs said the festival was often celebrated between the months of March and April every year. He said it was a moment of offering thanks to the Almighty for having blessed the people with bountiful farm harvests as well as petitioning Him for good rainfall for the next farming season.

He added that Nzem Berom had and would continue to remain as the forum for not only projecting the cultural identity of the Berom people, but also promoting social harmony, unity and progress among all who shared the moment. This year’s Nzem Berom, tagged Celebrating God’s Faithfulness, was unique compared with the previous ones. It attracted a lot of eminent people with and beyond Beromland. The way it was package depicted that the festival was gradually assuming international status and that it was capable of luring tourists to the state.

The venue of the event, Jos Polo Ground, was packed with not only Berom sons and daughters, but also people from different socio-cultural backgrounds who wanted to be part of the historical cultural festival to showcase Berom dance steps and works of art. Musicians, scholars and traditional dancers who thronged the arena displayed to the delight of the dignitaries that graced the festival. The costumes of the artists looked like those of traditional warriors. This goes to show that their fore fathers in Beromland were warriors.

Unlike the previous festivals where the people were saddled with the responsibility of organising the cultural festival, corporate organisations, such as the Global Satellite Mobile (GSM) communication company, MTN, added colour to the event as sponsors. The festival was also used as an avenue to showcase the variety of foods in Beromland. One of such is the Chun valued and cherished by the Berom. Chun is to the Berom people what fura da nono is to the Hausa\Fulani people in the North; Garri and Amala to the Igbo of the East and Yoruba of the West respectively. Nigerian Tribune learnt that the Berom perceive Chun as a symbol of unity. It is used on occasions such as weddings, naming ceremony and festivals like Mandyeng, Vwana etc. Some of those who graced the Nzem Berom were treated to this delicacy.

In his welcome address, the Gbong Gwom of Jos, Da Victor Pam, said as elders and community leaders on whose shoulders the burden of preserving the heritage lies, the traditional institution would not fail both the present and succeeding generations in the task of setting standards and fostering the development of their culture, strengthening communal integrity and securing collective unity.

The paramount ruler added that those in leadership positions in the land had resolved to continue to be in pursuit of the yearly festival “until it pleases God to set the stage for those who will keep the flames aglow.” He urged the people to join hands with the government of the day in order to move the state forward.

Governor Jonah Jang who was also one of the illustrious sons that graced the occasion said since the diverse ethnic groups in the state celebrated their festivals around the same period of the year, his government had directed the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to exploit the best avenue of harmonising all the festivals into a cultural calendar to encourage participation by all groups.

The governor said his administration held traditional rulers in high esteem because they were the custodians of cultures and traditions, adding that government was in consultation with traditional rulers to review the creation of chiefdoms and districts in the state to make them fall in line with the acceptable traditions and customs of the people.

He thanked the MTN for partnering with the Berom people in organising the festival, saying that by the act, the communication giant did not partner with just the Berom people, but with the entire Plateau State.

“By this action, you are taking our tourism potentials to the centre of the world,” he said.
In his goodwill message, Minister of State for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Dr. Aliyu Hong, commended the people and government of Plateau State for their efforts aimed at returning the state to its past enviable status as Home of Peace and Tourism.

Dr. Hong said the festival was a testimony of attempt by the Berom people to use culture to build and cement relationships among communities and the people of the state. The cultural festival ended with a church service at the palace of the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Victor Pam.