HISTORIOGRAPHY MERIT AND DEMERIT OF ORAL TRADITION AND ORAL HISTORY

 MERITS
1.                it has been discovered  that it is not possible to cover in   writing all past activities of man professor E.J  Aleoga has noted that “even  after writing become establish,  a large amount of information continues to be carried in the memories of  participants  in important  events
2.                Oral history and oral tradition are therefore very important particularly in Africa where written sources are scanty and mainly written by  Arabs and  European writer   who wrote out of  bias . Oral history and oral tradition are dramatic and enjoyable than written records because
they are in  sense of  folk –tellers. They can be understood and enjoyed by both  literates and none literates people because they can know their history  without reading any book.
3.                Oral traditions are cultural history and therefore serve purposes other than the purely historical .
4.                Oral tradition have thrown to height ribh cultural heritage and historical past. It has therefore, the debunked statement credited in by Europeans writers that African has no history. It showed that the statement are  arose from progides,  ignorance, racial  begottory and intellectual strength jacket.
5.                It is an original or primary source collected from the   people who participated  or eye witness to the events. According to H. A clement” they are usually base  on true events.
Documented oral tradition, although it is difficult to handle, may be a useful historical material and may considerably to our knowledge, of the  past
Our traditions are valuable instruments of stoical cultural liberation form our colonial attach
They reflect our socio –political organization leading to understanding of both the unity and diversity  of our present society.
2.  Demerits
Oral traditions are usually  handed down from generation to  generation and the infant is likely to adds or subtracts or even forget some of the facts . However, oral   history appears   more reliable than oral tradition
some Africa societies such as  (Soughai) maintain a group of professional story –tellers, whose functions were to sing the songs of praise of nobles  and rulers. These songs often suppress things that are bad and encourage  those that creditable.
In Borno Mahrams are useful  source of historical information. They can be also be deliberate  exaggerations  of the story by  the  informants especially for political reasons. Deeds belonging to other rulers might be attributed or credited to be remembered or the recent  rulers. Eg  Oba  Ewuare (14-40 –1473)  was a heir in Benin, all the good  deeds are attributed to him.
People   always attempt to trace their origin from a powerful  or influential emperors eg  Efik tracing their own origin from Aro-chukwu Onitsha tracing their  origin from powerful empire. Yoruba tracing their origin from Mecca. Benine tracing  from the more  affluent empire of  Oyo
It is difficult to get  oral traditions 
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