- Brimah
The Brimah family is a very large migrant African family that began with the
Sokoto Caliphate inNigeria 's Northern border state,Sokoto . They initially resided inBirnin Kebi , and then were a part of theFulani s, who were invited to theKwara state capital,Ilorin , to help the Ilorin Yoruba ward off theOyo empire. Fact|date=April 2007Exile from Ilorin
The Brimah family, along with the Gambari family and the now Alao family came as leaders with other Fulani warriors and fought off the Oyo army. Ilorin, its name meaning 'grind Iron', became part of the Northern empire, as theFulanis stayed and ruled Ilorin. Fact|date=April 2007
After the first Gambari
Emir of Ilorin died, the family decided to become a monarchy, and transfer the title to the next in kin. The Brimah opposed this, and protested for an election system instead. An election was held, the Brimah candidate lost, and the Gambari son won. Brimah left with 13 family members on a self-imposed exile. Hisspiritualist had told him he should not stop on his journey until he got to a river he could not cross, so Brimah travelled the West African coast, throughBenin ,Togo and Ghana. InAccra , he reached the Atlantic Ocean, which he took to be the 'river too large to cross', and stayed. His first house near the Accra coast was on the current site of the Accra General Post Office. Brimah settled with his family and started trade in Ghana. The site of his business was namedCowlane because of Brimah's trade in cattle. Many of Brimah's descendants still live in the Cowlane area. Fact|date=April 2007Ghana
His successful business ventures brought him high status in the Accra region of the Gold Coast. The Colonial government selected him as leader of all Muslims in Ghana (
Zongo community). The current head of the Brimah family, Chief Abdul Aziz Brimah now holds that title.Fact|date=April 2007Brimah's first wife in Accra was Fatima Peregrino, a first generation
Brazil ian in Accra, part of a local Brazilian community known as theTabom people . The Tabom were former slaves in Brazil, some of them involved in the 1836 Muslim rebellion inBahia , Brazil, known as "Malê revolt ". The Brazilian authorities deported those found guilty of organising this rebellion from Brazil. Some of the deportees ended up in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana. The first President of Togo, Sylvanus Olympio, was from such a family. Brimah had four wives, and all of his children from Fatima Peregrino adopted the last name Peregrino-Brimah.His family brought the first pipe borne water in Ghana, and built the first story building. The Brimah family is spread all over the world. Fact|date=April 2007
Recent History
The current Chief, Chief Abdul Aziz Brimah, volunteered during
WWII and fought inBurma , gratification was accorded him in theMemorial Gates Trust Foundation along with other men and women fromIndia , Africa and theCaribbean who served in World War I and II. [http://www.mgtrust.org/afr2.htm] [http://www.mgtrust.org]He also was part of the protest with other WWII veterans that led to the liberation of Ghana from colonial rule, on March 6, 1957, making it the first African nation to gain independence from colonial rule and also becoming the flagbearer for African liberation from colonial rule. Fact|date=April 2007
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
