Disintegration of Gyabo Settlements
At Dezwan, the vices of inequality, discrimination and other forms of injustice surfaced among the Gyabo settlers’ just as it was among the nomadic societies. This formed the crux of the disintegration of the Gyabo settlement at Dezwan; originally into (A) Genoyah, (B) Nemiah and (C) Poloyah.
A. Genoyah:
The genealogical group now known as the Genoyah was the first to disperse and got settled in the Northwestern parts of Dezwan. It had been acknowledged that the Genoyah people left Dezwan because they felt cheated. The narrators were unanimous in their disclosure of what led to the departure of the Genoyah group from Dezwan. It was said that a hunter from the Genoyah genealogical group went to hunt and caught an antelope. It was required by tradition that a game of that size and category was taken to the Priest’s house where it was publically shared and every quarter was given a portion according to its status and authority, and the Poloyah Group being the senior they were responsible to supervise the sharing. When that particular antelope which was brought in by a Genoyah hunter was shared, the Genoyah people took an exception as they felt cheated. Their displeasure was registered and they boycotted the sharing ceremony and at once they departed to Northwest of Dezwan. It was because of the manner in which this group left Dezwan; it had been named Genoyah which means boycott or refused to have dealing with.
B. Nemiah:
The second genealogical group that later became known as Nemiah was the second to the Poloyah in terms of seniority and population. The departure of the Genoyah people apparently left the Nemiah people in the state of apprehension, thinking that the Poloyah people would take more advantage of them, especially in the absence of one of the genealogical groups.
The spirit of apprehension prompted the youngsters of Nemiah group who prior to the departure of the Genoyah people were engaged in hunting expeditions to enforce their exploration and they discovered rich games, fisheries fertile soils and abundance of land. It was against this background that Nemiah genealogical group decided to seek settlement in the flood plains and tributaries of the Decories River. It was because of their movement along these plains and tributaries of waters; they were given the name Nemiah which means at the “Origin or roots” of water.
C. Poloyah:
Following the departures of their kinsmen with whom for more than a century co-existed, traveled together and finally settled at Dezwan, the Poloyah people, which constitute decided to also get out of Dezwan. It is believed that the Poloyah people made the decision because of grief over the un-ceremonial departures of their kinsmen and the loss of the association and social interactions which existed among them as genealogical relations for centuries.
As the Poloyah people planned their expedition and exit, a hunter discovered a virgin forest area rich in games, fisheries and other natural resources as well as fertile land. Following further verification the Poloyah found the place suitable and made an initial settlement there. Further expeditions landed them at the Atlantic Ocean in the south of Dezwan where they met the Paity people who later became a section of Gyabo People together with Nyanbo people.
D. Paity and Nyanbo Sections:
The Paity and Nyanbo sections of the Gyabo Tribe were originally separate genealogical groups which at one point in time merged and traveled from the area now known as Sinoe County. They landed in an area bordering the Genoyah people and where both have associated for the past 250-300 years. As a result of the long standing relations, the Paity and Nyanbo people have become one people or a section now referred to as Paity/Nyanbo. The Paity/Nyanbo people constitute the fourth section of the Gyabo genealogical relations with equal rights and privileges as all other Gyabo sections.