The Early Days of the Catholic Mission in Bauchi 1946 – 1996
This article explores the early days of the catholic mission In Bauchi Mainly between 1946 – 1996. At Independence in 1960, Bauchi Province had eight local government units (then known as Native Authorities). There were both positive and factors that have affected this division. On the negative side, Indirect Rule prevented the introduction of democratic local government, Western education, and real freedom for the subject non-Fulani peoples in the emirates. For Bauchi was by no means a fully Fulani or Muslim Province. Igbo traders and civil servants from the south-east of the country were the first Catholics to live in Bauchi town. They brought their Catholic faith with them and, invariably, when they met one another, they prayed together, gradually they contacted the nearest missionary priest. With the help of books on civil and ecclesiastical interest, this article synthesizes informations on Bauchi Province and the Catholic Church there. The researcher has a first-hand experience of the territory under study here having worked in the territory for many years. Analytical and descriptive methods of research are used in this work. This is a contribution to the local Church history in Bauchi Vicariate/Diocese and the researcher recommends that further study should be made and published before the Silver Jubilee of the erection of Bauchi Vicariate which comes up in 2021.
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