The Jack Manilla Pepple Chieftaincy House of Olom Abalama (Oguede) Community of Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State has taken a definitive step to end a 70-year interregnum during which its leadership spectrum was abridged due to the absence of a substantive Chief and Head of the House.

This was evident on Saturday, March 12, 2022 when the Chief and Head of the Fubara Manilla Pepple House, Se-Alabo Waripanye Pepple, Fubara XV, inaugurated a 5-man Caretaker Committee to pilot the affairs of the Community for the next three months in Bonny, Rivers State.

“By the powers conferred on me as the Chief and Head of Fubara Manilla Pepple House, a Se-Alabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, and with the consent and backing of the ancestral head of the Fubara Manilla Pepple House, who is also the Amanyanabo of ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom, with the terms of reference clearly defined, today drawing positive energy with the elders, from the elders of the Kalawari and the Opuwari, and those who are unavoidably absent but are with us in the spirit, I hereby declare the Caretaker Chairman and members of Jack-Manilla Pepple house inaugurated.”

The committee, which was inaugurated at the Fubara Manilla Pepple House Opuwari, has Iganima Pepple as Chairman; and Clement Pepple, Henry Pepple, Collins Pepple, and Charles Edward as members.

Kristina Reports’ finding indicate that the Jack Manilla Pepple Chieftaincy, a Kalawari (minor house) of the Fubara Manilla Pepple Chieftaincy House, was founded by Ncheke Manilla Pepple and later established by one of the purchased members of his House, Iye Ncheke Manilla Pepple.

Fubara XV appealed to members of the House to work with the committee to achieve a paradigm shift in the administration of Oguede Community, charging the CTC members to ensure they consult widely with all segments of the House and predicate their decisions on the opinion of the majority members of the House.

He pointed out that “not everyone will agree with you and take note that in every nonsense, there is sense”, stressing that the objective of inaugurating the committee was to end what he described as “70 years of darkness in my Kalawari”, assuring that better days were ahead for the House.

In his acceptance speech, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Iganima Pepple thanked the Chief and Head of the parent House, Fubara Manilla Pepple House, Se-Alabo Waripanye Pepple, Fubara XV, elders of both the Fubara Manilla Pepple and Jack Manilla Pepple Houses, and all the members for the confidence reposed in him and other members of the committee.

Calling on the people of Oguede Community to live in peace and harmony and eschew acts that could cause tension within the community, Pepple assured that the interest of all stakeholders would be accommodated, as his committee would, in deference to the directive of the Opuwari Chief, consult widely before taking decisions.