Nyanyan Gohn-Manan

I write to you through Bassa, of the Niger-Congo family, western Sudanic subgroup and the Kwa branch of Africa. The Bassa are an African people. The central theme of this book is that the Bassa have a form of government, which shows Bassa people can govern themselves, and that they have done so from time immemorial until the interjection of alien leadership philosophy. Non-Africans should be dissuaded from their concept of African inability to govern themselves. Bassa history and leadership shows one aspect of African leadership as well as contributions to human leadership. Presenting the Bassa leadership to the world is a clarion call for all Africans to look to their traditional route to design a form of government that fits their culture.

For decades, foreign correspondents have done Africa a disservice, purposely presenting African people and their leadership at their worst moment and too rarely presenting these aspects of the people in their full blossom. By choice, Europeans at their mothers’ knees have learned to hate Africa and never had to respond to them as people with a legitimate leadership, especially apart from slave history. Such a perception must be confronted if humankind is to humanize politics. For Africans to expose the mindset of those who de-humanize them, they must fly as the Sankofa bird, looking behind before flying forward. Accepting African past is the beginning to our liberation. In other words, to arrive at a true understanding of historical events, it is better to see that event from many sides.

Finally, this book is intended to present a full picture of usefulness and practicality of the Bassa government to the people of the world. If the book appears tall, it is because it is based on the teachings of the Bassa and their ideals. It is especially for people who know little or nothing about Bassa government. It is written from an interdisciplinary approach covering religion, genetics, archeology, literature, history, political science, sociology, anthropology, and other areas, because no single discipline can successfully explain the history of a people.

This book is for all readers who want to begin comprehending the Bassa leadership system, and is organized into eight chapters, which provides a brief overview and examines the problems African leaders have faced for adopting, without serious question, non-indigenous political systems. Chapter 1 delves into the description of the Nyanyan Gohn-Manan. Nyanyan is synonymous with ‘Humanism,’ the government that is concerned about the welfare of the people. This chapter examines the Bassa mosaic of leadership, including its distribution of power, and its philosophy. Chapter 2 delves into the fundamental characteristics and history of Non-Partyism mindset. Next, it suggests its model as the ideal form of government that fits the African culture and how these and other characteristics reveal themselves in Bassa leadership styles and attitudes toward government. Chapter 3 examines the leadership concept of the Bassa, its decision-making methods, greeting, giving gifts, doing favor, showing respect, socializing, conducting negotiations, implementing agreements, dealing with labor, and the role it ascribes to women. Chapter 4 explains the underpinning of European view of African leadership. Chapter 5 examines the revolution crosscurrents sweeping Africa in the context that revolution is an expression not widely understood thereby creating controversy, confusion, death, and destruction. The latter part of the chapter suggests the kind of revolution needed in Africa. Chapter 6 discusses the importance of the brith tongue in leadership. Chapter 7 explores the Great Mother. The Chapter labled ‘Afterwards’ has wise sayings and commentary on African wisdom and unity. The Appendix concludes the book with a detailed description of Bassa migration, from Mozambique, their origin, the route of their legendary journey throughout Africa, to Liberia.