At long last the sod has been cut for work on the much talked about Bui Hydro-electric Dam to commence. From now on all roads will lead to Bui on the west bank of the Black Volta, in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. The gorge, which is named after Bui village, is the south-western boundary between the North and Brong Ahafo regions, moving towards La Côte d’Ivoire. The Bui Gorge catchment area is sparely populated with diverse ethnic groups with identical cultures and a shared history.

 

This is a detailed survey of the socio-demographic patterns of the peoples who inhabit the Northern half of Ghana.

 

The author gives an account of the indigenous language patterns of the different ethnic groups, their social customs and distinctive customs.

 

Among the main ethnic groups discussed in the survey are:

            (1)        Dagbani            -           Nanuni and Moore–Gurma of

Northern Region;

            (2)        Dagaare           –          Wali- Birifor of Upper West Region; and

            (3)        “Frafra”            –          Nankani, Talni, Bulsa, Nabit, Kusaal, and

Grusi of Upper East Region.

 

 

 

The Krobo is the largest of the seven Dangme ethnic groups of southeastern Ghana. Researchers into Krobo history, social structure and language are not totally agreed on where exactly the Krobo came from. While Jackson, backed by oral tradition, state that the Krobo migrated from somewhere in Eastern Nigeria, the other documented sources (notably Enock Azu, Reindorf, Huber, Field, Kropp Dakubu, Wilson and S. S. Odonkor) point mainly to Sameh in Dahomey (Benin) as the probable source of origin of the Krobo together with other proto-Dangmes.

 

Others point out the origin of the Krobo as Sameh in Western Nigeria, southwest of the River Ogun.

 

Presently, most scholars assume that the Krobo migrated from around the regions of Nigeria, crossed the Savanah westward through hostile lands and crossed the River Volta, and settled at the Tagologo plains, within the Accra Plains, later to be called Lolovor some where around the fourteenth century. (Lolovor means brotherly love is finished in allusion to community quarrels among the immigrants for control of farming land.) Here, tradition says the Dangme tribes split up and went their several ways.

 

The Krobo under the leadership of Madza and Aklo Muase settled in a newly discovered plateau with steep sides and a few entry points, (The Krobo Mountain). On this mountain they lived for more than four hundred years. Once there, additional Dangme and even alien races escaping from tribal wars like the Akan as well as some Ewe groups were ritually admitted between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. Admission rituals of circumcision were performed for males and puberty (Dipo) rites for females.