Unveiling Bozundalla: A thousand-year well of mysteries, history, and hope
The historic and phenomenal Bodunzalla well is located in Wawa, Funakaye local government in Gombe state Nigeria. Wawa is a small village close to the city of Bagoja, the secretariat of Funakaye’s local government Gombe. Taking a trip down to Wawa is about a 15-kilometer ride to Kwanar Baffaru, where one will eventually board a motorcycle to Wawa, except on market days when vehicles are available.
Wawa village is located in a dark alley, with an inaccessible road filled with all sizes of potholes. It takes almost an hour from Kwanar Baffaru to Wawa village. Wawa village is one big and highly populated village. It is the indigenous home of the Bolawa’s.
The trip to Wawa is a journey through a forest. There are two villages named Birin Fulani and Birin Bolawa before getting to Wawa. These villages have a proximity.
Neptune Prime paid a visit to the village head of Wawa, to ascertain the authenticity of the history behind the Bozundalla well.
Neptune Prime: Name and position
My name is Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Lawal, the village head of Wawa.
NP: We would like the know the real history of the Bodunzalla well.
Bozundalla well has lots of history from different angles, but I will tell you the best that I know.
Bodunzalla well has been in existence for over a thousand years. Though we do not know who first dug it, 70 years ago, a part of the well was breaking off, so the king at that time engaged several Bolawas who gathered cane sticks and reconstructed the broken part of the well. If you look into the well, there isn’t a single cement work.
The well was first discovered by a female horse (Goɗiya). The mare was very much in use at that time. Whenever the king’s servant tries to feed the horse after farming, the mere rejects the water given to her. The herder became disturbed and decided to investigate why it had been rejecting the drinking water.
They king appointed a group of workers from the royal house to trail the horse whenever they were done herding to observe where she always went and what she did there. The workers trailed the mare into the forest and hid behind the trees. A few minutes later, the donkey was done with whatever it did and left. So the workers went to exactly where the donkey stood and found out there was lots of water there gushing from below some rocks. And that was how the well was discovered.
The name of the well Bozundalla has its meaning rooted in the Bolanci language of the Bolawas. ‘Dalla’ means middle or center in Bolanci, so ‘Bozundalla’ means ‘center of town’. But as you can see the well is not located in the center of the town, but as of then that was the center of the town.
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NP: it is well known that wells do run dry to the extent of digging further to get water, has Bozundalla well ever gotten dry or ran out of water?
For over a thousand years, this well has never dried up. And that is how generations after generations have met it with constant water supply. But like I said earlier, 70 years ago a part of it was reconstructed because the sticks were falling out. So Bolawas from far and near made a collaborative effort to reconstruct it.
The well was constructed in such a way that the cane sticks are tied to the rocks and beneath it, water gushes out to the top of the well.
The well has a depth of 16 meters same as the fetch bucket is of the same length and the need to increase the length has never arisen. The well supplies water for 24 hours. At times you see over 50 people fetching water from the well same time, every person with his or her fetch bucket.
NP: Can you describe what the water tastes like? Is it salty, sweet or has a strong feel on the tongue?
Sincerely, the water tastes very delicious and soothing. If not because you are fasting I would have asked you to taste it, but I suggest you fetch some along with you and take it after breaking your fast.
Our grandparents once told us that the well is connected to the Gashinge River in Nafada local government of Gombe state. Whoever you ask in Nafada can show you the edge of the well in Wawa which is called ‘Bobuzum Wawa’.
A long time ago, there was one Sarkin Ruwa (river official) who came here and said his canoe was inside the well. Everybody was surprised at his claims, they sought permission to go into the well. The then-king of Wawa permitted him. The man went into the well together with his dog. Sarkin Wawa asked a group of people to go to Gashinge and wait for the man, to their surprise on getting there the man was in the company of his dog along with his canoe. Since then we all ascertained that the well was connected to the Ashinge River.
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NP: as you mentioned earlier there are times when over 50 people fetch water from the well at the same time, has there ever been a time anyone got drowned?
Never, we have had a case of drowning in the well. Even though people fetch water day and night no one has ever fallen into the well.
NP: is there something peculiar to this well water? Like to say is there a curative feature it has when consumed?
(Laughs), well, let’s keep that as a secret and leave it to Almighty God. We can’t disclose everything to the world.
NP: Are there challenges you face concerning the well or as a community?
Our greatest challenge is access to drinkable water. As you can see, the number of people fetching water from this well because it’s the only source of water. Severally we have tried to dig wells but they end up drying up, that’s why you see lots of our young ladies trooping to the well.
Presently, a bag of sachet water costs N200 in nearby villages it costs up to N500. Some tankers fetch water from Biri village and refill storage tanks in houses, but those tankers sell water at the rate of N50,000. It’s a difficult situation we are facing here. This problem is also associated with the population of people fetching water from the well which has tremendously increased over time.
We plead with the federal government and the Gombe state government to endorse this well with such a great history as a tourist site. The government should also provide the people of this community with drinkable water because the issue of drinkable water is alarming.
NP: Thank you
A big thank you from us.
(Pictures)
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