Friday, February 20, 2015

THE STORY OF NANTO NIMDI(APPELLATION OF NAA YAKUBU I)

THE STORY OF NANTO NIMDI(APPELLATION OF NAA YAKUBU I)

BY DOLSI ABUBAKARI LUNNA


Naa Yakubu was one of the greatest king of Dagbon.Naa Abudu was his first son,when Naa kulunku died the king makers met and they chose Naa Asumani to be king popularly called Naa Zoli or Naa Asumani Zoli.on the day they brought Naa Asumani out for the public,Idantooma was present.Idantooma's mother was Naa Yakubu's sister.Naa Asumani and Naa yakubu were brothers one father but different mothers,

At that time,Idantooma mother was the ladies chief,Kpatu-naa Lahimi.After the crowning of Naa Asumani he left for Yelizoli(Zabzugu) and he had to pass through Kpatuya,because one of his uncles has become Ya Naa,he taught his mother will be happy ,so he went to greet his mother.he greeted his mother with happiness "i have come to greet you,we have had good luck.our family has a Ya Na again.Naa Asumani Zoli,my uncle is Ya Na"

The mother spit and said "Chiligu.which child is this? go to my room and bring yesterday's food for Idantooma to eat and he should go his way.I am in shame,i have suffered for nothing"those were the words the mother gave him to him..the mother continued "i gave my V*g*na to your father,who was just one of the Muslims and not a prince and i have given birth to you for nothing.soothsayers told me that if i follow your father.we would have a child who would help me become big.do you think the Yendi skin is for Asumani! it is for your real uncle,Yakubu,they gave it to Asumani and you are happy.do you think Asumani will die before Yakubu"

Idantooma said "why do you abuse me in public like that?do you think I,Idantooma,will eat yesterday food? oh mother,you didn't informed me early enough.if you had told me earlier we would have found ways to make uncle Yakubu king.if you think you are going to be ashamed, i will show you that i am somebody.i will go home and what you want i will give it to you"he sent for one of his people and said"go back and inform Naa Asumani that i am coming to fight him because i want my uncle Yakubu to be Ya Na.before the messenger came some of the elders have left Yendi.

the messenger told Zohe-Naa and Zohe-Naa told Mmba Dugu to bring out the Ya Na out..the Ya Naa called all the elders and informed them"Idantooma says he is coming to kill me and let you elders make Yakubu king "when he said so,some elders said"what can Idantooma do ?he cant do anything" the leading king maker,Gushe-naa said "if a blind man tells you,'i will throw a stone at you,'don't say ,'he is blind he cant have a stone 'maybe he is stepping on that stone.Don't say Idantooma cannot do anything,Everyone knows he is a strong person.we don't know the full reason why he is coming to fight us"

the messenger took Gushe-naa words to idantooma.he returned him to Yendi "Go and tell them that i am not coming to fight the kingmakers.It is only Naa Asumani i don't like. i know he is my uncle but i don't want him to be where he is.i want Yakubu to be there.The kingmakers should take their hands of the matter"and Gushe naa said "we cant take our hands from it because we are those who made him king,that is our duty,if you are fighting the YA NA you are equally fighting us"when they sent the message back,Idantooma said"if that be the case--prepare I am coming"


 Yelzoli is at the east of Yendi..according to elders ,one Friday morning at the time everybody was getting up ..they saw a troop of monkeys walking through the town,sitting on horses..we all know monkeys and dogs don't get along but that day all the dog in Yendi stayed in their masters house..the monkeys rode their horses through Yendi and stop in a place called Kunsufong..at first it was far from Yendi but now due to expansion and development is now part of Yendi township..
the monkeys surrounded Yendi crying --shouting till night.

Naa Asumani came out and told his people "what i saw today .i ve never seen before. no elder can tell me that a monkey has walked through the town before.And to day plenty of monkeys! where from them ? and the people said maybe they are Idantooma's people.we should prepare"

the next morning ,they heard drumming.Idantooma sent a messenger to tell the Ya Na to leave the palace"i don't want to come there because we never fight in the Yendi Palace.If you are a man like me ,come" so the Ya Na came .in-facet Naa Asumani had helpers,Naa ansumi forces took the Tamale road and Idantooma followed him there they fought across the Kulpini river(river oti).Idantooma cover the Yendi side and was pushing Naa Asumani back towards tamale side they fought from morning to sunset.by night,Idantooma had pushed Naa Asumani all the way to Mion.then they slept

Naa Asumni sent for more helpers "Dagbon people,if you dont help me this man is going to defeat me All his warriors came out..Gushe Naa,kumbungu Naa,Tolon Naa,Diari lana in fact many of them came .they were able to push Idantooma back trying their best to send Naa Aumani back to Yendi,they push Him across the Kulpini river coming close to Yendi (where the abandon Yendi airport project is located) --Idantooma and his monkey troop..(According to some elders he turned the monkeys into humans but some disputes this claim)were able to kill Naa Asumani..leaving the rest of the kingmakers.

Idantooma said "Dagbon elders ,can we stop the fight?what i wanted,i have got it Naa Asumani is no more.whether you kill me or not you have to select a new king,but i am telling you--none of you can kill me..i am going back.if you finish the custom and don't make my uncle Yakubu to be Yaa naa-- I WILL BE BACK"

they prepared to take Naa asumani to Yendi to the Yendi palace to bury him.(According to Dolsi Naa Abubakari researched) Naa Asumani refuse to go..when they to put him on the stretcher and tried to lift him it from the ground they were not able to do so,,many people came but still couldn't take it..they were ther for more than a day but couldn't take it from the ground they elders said :he doesn't want to go back to the palace lets bury him here"they buried him on the spot where he died ..they made the funeral and built a room on his grave which is still present till date ..

After the funeral no prince came forward for the skin except Naa Yakubu he was made the Yaa Naa.when they brought him out He said "am NANTOO(POISON),i kill meat,but no one can eat it.i am a poison to princes.The prince who is strong,who has protection can pass and be away from my poison if you don't have proper protection, don't come near.you will die

he said the because his nephew was a strong person.at the the time of the war he was not a chief at any town in Dagbon he just called Afa Idantooma because he was Muslim like his father,,

After the Naa Yakubu became a king Idantooma became very powerful..he alone wanted to have every chieftaincy in Dagbon..when some drummers sing about Idantoomas family they out him for more than twenty chieftaincies,,Idantooma ask Na Yakubu "uncle can you make me a chief because people are just calling me Afa Idantooma" NA Yakubu made him Gbungbaliga chief.then Kpatinga chief died and hi said "i want Kpantin lana" Naa yakubu said," "what about Gbungbaliga?" Idantooma said,"Don't give Gbungbaliga to anybody i want to occupy both Kpatin and Gbungbaliga".then the Nesa chief died,he said"i want to be Nesa lana" Naa Yakubu said" Nesa is a small chieftaincy.it is smaller than the chieftaincies you already have" Idantooma said "yes ,but i want to take care of the people" Naa Yakubu gave it to him.after Nesa Pigu lana died,Idantooma took it after PIGU zabzugu and to Yelizoli.

the elders of Dagbon got together and said "Princes of Yendi,we are telling you that if Idantooma is alive when Naa yakubu die he will break our custom,He will want to be Ya Na.A grandson of Ya Na has never been king before.so princes don't sleep wake up"

Right of they said that Na YAKUBU Became a mad man.Many drummers don't still the reason why he became mad..Na yakubu started to do bad things.killing people sons and burning of houses..if he pass by your house and you have big Hall..he will ask"whose house is this?' if they don't it is for his son he will burn it or he sees a nice child and ask "whose child is this and the reply isn't that he is your own son he will kill the child..he was not known to be a killer it was after the madness struck him..the elders made strong men to follow,protect and prevent him from doing that..but some history books said he was put in silver handcuffed chained him at the market..,,but the actually thing the strong men were the metaphorically place with handcuff..you cant chain a Yaa naa..he was Ya naa for nineteen to twenty years before the madness.he ruled with madness four to five years..

Naa Yakubu children and grand Sons didn't want Idantooma to be alive when their father dies..because if Na Yakubu die no one could have stop him from becoming a king if wanted it..the children and grandchildren organized and called Idantooma to battle.They fought him and he was beating them..He drove the king children up to tamale--when he was coming back towards Yendi they follow him again and fought him till they were able to kill him..After they killed Idantooma,sometime pass and Ya na yakubu also pass away naturally..this war is called NABI--KURA(PRINCES WAR) it was led by both NAA ANDANI AND NAA ABUDU to fight the tyrant Idantooma.

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