As the controversy over the ownership of Finima Community and the lands within its territory, the Duawari status of some chieftaincy houses in Bonny Kingdom, the interface between the chieftaincy houses and the King Perekule throne rages, the Chairman of the Opu-Asa-Awo (senior youths) of the Konibo ye Awanta Tobin Chieftaincy House of Finima in Bonny Kingdom of Bonny Local Government Area, Agomienye Mack Tobin, in this interview with Kristina Reports Publisher/Editor-in-Chef, Godswill Jumbo in Port Harcourt, x-rayed the issues under review and offers refreshing perspectives on these. It makes an interesting read, enjoy:

Kristina Reports: Let us meet you, Sir

Agomienye Tobin:My name is Agomienye Balafama Mack Tobin, the Opu-Asa-Awo Leader of Konibo ye Awanta Tobin House of Finima.

Meaning you are like the person coordinating the youths of Tobin House of Finima?

Yes. I am. You know we have the younger youths and the senior youths. I am the head of the senior youths who oversees all other youths of Tobin House. You have the – as they call it in Ibani language – the Ogbobiri Asa-Awo, which are the younger youths and the Opu-Asa-Awo, which are the senior youths. So, I am the head of the senior youths, who also oversees the younger youths of Tobin House.

Questions are being asked that when we talk of Finima Community where does Tobin House come in? We hear of Brown, we hear of Attoni, we hear of Tobin, how is Finima organized?

Well, as we all know in the history of Bonny, Finima has been an ancient community in Bonny Kingdom. I believe that everybody knows that all Houses have their Chief in the Council of Chiefs, which means Finima is a community that has three chieftaincy houses where we have the Tobin, Brown and Attoni and all of them are equal and have their stool in the Bonny Council of Chiefs. All are equal and no one is under any one.

Recently you did the funeral rites for your late Chief, late Chief Young Tobin, are there plans to install a new

Chief?

Yes, of course, there is a plan because the elders and the principal members and the entire house have been meeting.After the burial, we are trying to meet to put one or two things in place before we talk about coming up with our new Chief.

So, meaning you don’t have a chief-elect yet…

We don’t have a chief-elect but we have the Chairman of the Elders’ Council who oversees and handles the affairs of the house for now.

Now, when we come to the inter-relationship between Finima and Bonny Kingdom, how has it been? This is against the backdrop of insinuations that Finima is Bonny, Finima is not Bonny; and some people are saying that Buoye Omuso (Brown) is a Duawari and Tobin is not, and several other issues. What is the true position on these interwoven issues?

The question is a bit complicated but I will answer you the way I can. When it comes to the issue of Finima not being part of Bonny, I don’t really understand, where we know that the Amanyanabo-in-Council created all the chieftaincy stools we have today in Bonny Kingdom.So, how can you say you are not part of the kingdom? It is not possible for you to say you are not part of Bonny Kingdom because the Amanyanabo-in-Council is the one that created all chieftaincy stools that we have today in Bonny Kingdom. Now, talking about the Duawaris in Bonny, yes, some people can call themselves Duawari. But some don’t understand the meaning of Duawari as against the Major House because you cannot be a Major House and say you are a Duawari. The people that are the Major Houses are the stools made His Majesty. His Majesty made them the Major Houses because of what they are to His Majesty. But we, Tobin House are a Minor House but a Minor House that was a House on her own before this time. But when you talk about the Brown House, Brown House is a Major House. How can they be a Major House and also be a Duawari? For you to be a Major House, you cannot be a Duawari in Ibani clan.

So, who are the Duawaris?

If you want to talk about Duawari now, let me give some instances, His Majesty, the Manilla Pepple House, the

Perekule, can be said to be the Duawari. But coming to say a Major House where somebody made you a chieftaincy stool and co-opted you in as one of his subjects and now create a house for you and you now say you are a Duawari. So, for me, I don’t understand why they are complicating issues, saying I am a Major House, I am a Duawari. All I know is that the Brown House is a Major House and not a Duawari.

So, in your opinion you think, based on what you are saying now, that naturally, the loyalty of all the chieftaincy houses should accrue to His Majesty, the Amanyanabo of Bonny?

Definitely. And that is how it is supposed to be because today there is no house you can walk into without His Majesty. This is because it was His Majesty that created all the (chieftaincy) houses in Bonny today.

Now, there are some emanating issues from Finima: one of them, the parcel of land where the workers’ camp was built, is being contested by the Jumbo and Brown Houses. And then the parcel of land close to Willbros Junction was also in the news for the wrong reasons. Youths from Jumbo House and Finima which we understand are from Brown House were at each other’s necks. We understand that it got so bad that the Local Government Chairman had to call elders of both houses to sit down and look at these issues. There are also companies operating on Finima land. Can we have some clarification?The companies operating on Finima land, are they operating on Brown House land or Finima land which incorporates Tobin and Attoni? Also these two parcel of land that are causing conflict between Brown House and Jumbo House. What actually is the true situation?

Let me take that of companies operating in Finima whether the land they are operating on is Brown land. Finima is the name of the community where all of us dwell – the Browns, the Tobins and the Attonis – in that land which belongs to the three houses. And all of us are equal because we all have a seat in the Council of Chiefs where the Amanyanabo recognizes all the three houses. So, there is no way a company can come to operate in Finima and you say it is Buoye Omuso Brown House land. No, it is not. It cannot be. If they think that, sometime ago, when they and Jumbo (House) gave out Shell land, and that is what they are using today. I also want to make known today that, once, land was given out to Chevron,and it was Finima Community that gave out the land which comprises of the three chieftaincy houses in Finima. And today where NLNG is sited, it is our ancestral land where we lived at old Finima before we came to this new place called Ikpakpayo that we are presently today. In that case nobody can come and say that this is his own personal land, it is a community land. And if it is a community land everything that is coming to that place everybody has to benefit from it. It must accrue to each and every one of the houses through their chiefs or through the chairman of their Elders’ Council or anyone that is in charge. It should be able to accrue. And these companies coming into Finima land without meeting the three houses are also helping to create problems because we never expected them to be doing that. They need to know that Finima is not only Buoye Omuso Brown House. It is made up of the three chieftaincy houses in Finima. They should be able to try to know and try to get three of them together before they negotiate anything about using of land or whatever. But sometimes because they feel they can come to play divide and rule among us.I will also say the companies are coming to cause trouble by coming to only work with one family without knowing others. This means it will cause more problems in future if this is not being addressed now.

But has the Tobin House drawn the attention of the Brown House to this situation you are explaining now?

Of course, they know.

Like you are saying that the land given to Shell is different from the land that was given to NLNG…

Yes, and that of Mobil and Chevron…

So, you are saying that where NLNG is, where Mobil is, where Chevron is, belongs to Finima Community, not just Brown House?

Yes, not just Brown (House). That is what I am saying. And this land was given out by the three chieftaincy houses to them.

Are you saying that, so far, the Tobin House has not being benefitting from whatever happens there?

Yes, because most times, the company will hide and deal with the Brown (House) before you know they will say this or that. They end up making us to fight ourselves. If we don’t fight, we come to maybe…they will say we are coming to stop Federal Government project but they are not doing the right thing. If they want to come they should be able to ask. If they don’t know who to ask they should go to His Majesty, who is the royal father of the Kingdom and find out from him the true state of Finima. Who and who do we consult before ever we do anything?If they don’t want to go through any other person, His Majesty will be able to direct them on who and who to consult before they do anything in that land.

Now, about the workers camp land and then this other land that was given to Julius Berger for a temporary site while they are doing the Bonny-Bodo Road, what, actually, is the situation? Are those also Finima lands or Brown House land?

Workers Camp, as I stated before, is Finima land up till tomorrow, up till next tomorrow. But, sometimes, selfishness of our brothers, the Brown House, that is what is causing them certain things and problems. Like now, coming to talk about that Workers Camp area and that parcel of land given to the company by His Majesty, for me, the little I know about that land, that land was given out by the former King, His Majesty’s predecessor, King Captain Secondus. And that parcel of land was given out by that King to NEPA. It is NEPA land. If maybe he has acquired it from the Finima people and said I want to use this place and they gave it to him and he gave it out to them. If they are coming to do this project they want to do now (Julius) Berger is not taking that place. It is not owning that land. It is only for them to take that place and use it for their temporal office site to do the road that will benefit all of Bonny sons and daughters tomorrow. It is for the interest of our people and also a national project that we, as Bonny people, should also embrace and give way for that project to come and be. For how many decades we have been suffering from sea pirates and so many things and now God has so made it that the NLNG and Federal Government have recognized after the efforts of the King and his Chiefs Council, the road has come to be and then some people want to come and scuttle it. For me, I don’t see it as anything. If they are saying that Berger is coming to acquire that land entirely, yes, they should have gone to meet the owner which are the Finima people. And we sit and discuss, how much they are going to acquire it before we give it to them. But in this case not that they are even acquiring. It is land that has been acquired by King Secondus and given out to NEPA. If you look into it you will see that it is a NEPA proposed site before this time. So, Jumbo also coming to join them, maybe, it is because Jumbo (House) has enjoyed the dividends of Shell. They dragged Jumbo House into it and Jumbo has tasted it and they want to follow and be tasting. So, Jumbo (House) should know that that place is not even part of their own land. And I want to point out to you now that when Chevron came – where Chevron is sited – it was the three chieftaincy houses that gave out that place to Chevron. By then, my late Chief, Chief Young Sunday Tobin and Chief Yibo Buowari Brown and the elders of Attoni, one Akoni Tella, they were the people that gave out that place to Chevron. That shows that it is indeed a community land. That is why they came together to give out that place, and Chevron did the right thing to meet with the three houses before acquiring that place. So, how can Jumbo now come today and say that, that place is their own? Where were they when that place was given out to Chevron? I don’t blame them because it is what our brothers have caused by making them taste the honey. So, they want to continue tasting.

When you say your brother have made them taste, what actually do you mean?

Definitely, if not for the greed of our brothers who ran to Jumbo and bring in Jumbo into Shell land, Shell land does not belong to Jumbo House in anyway. It does not belong to Jumbo House in anyway. Jumbo (House) knows the truth. It is purely Finima land.

So, you are saying the land up to Shell gate…

It is owned by Finima.

You are saying it is owned by Finima?

Yes, it is owned by Finima

But this was an agreement made far back in 1957, how come you are saying this now? You recall an agreement was signed which has now become a sort of legacy document and generation after generation have come to see that this land was signed off to Shell – part of it Jumbo and part of it Brown.

That is what I am saying, it is only that place that Brown and Jumbo came together to give out to Shell. It is only where Jumbo can exercise their power.

So, are you saying that even where we have always known as the boundary – the small creek separating Shell and NLNG, where the NLNG jetty is – where one side is supposed to be the Jumbo portion while the other side is supposed to be the Brown portion, is all of Finima land? You recall that it was part of the Shell land that was allegedly given to NLNG by Shell as its equity contribution to the NLNG.

No part of Shell land was given to NLNG. No, Sir. If you watch, the road now to the present morph jetty if you are traveling, the road leading there was the boundary far back when you are talking about old Finima and Shell and you will cross a creek before you enter that Shell. If you are going to Shell by then there is a road where they call Mama Put and what have you before you come out to Shell gate properly. So, what I am trying to say is that all those places were owned by Finima people. But the people that gave it out were the Brown House during the time of late Chief Bouwari Brown for their selfish interest alongside the Jumbo (House) Chief by then. Instead of calling his brothers, he went and called them so that he can have the bigger part of the money and gave the land to Shell. That has been given and nobody contested for that till now. So, if they want to talk the Jumbo people can only talk about the land that was given to Shell and not to come and talk about the other land that is virgin that that place is their land. That is why I am saying that when the three chieftaincy houses came together and gave out that land to Chevron to build their flow meter where was Jumbo by then? Why didn’t they come out and say that this is our land? They didn’t come out because they know that it is not their land. But I believe that because Brown is doing as if they want to have everything that is why they also came in. ‘After all, all of us get Shell, this one too’. How can you leave the areas you have land – all those bypass road and everywhere else – and you are coming to drag land in Finima. Jumbo should know that, that land those not belong to them. The Brown House should also stop what they are doing by not allowing the good things that are coming to Bonny to come. That road is not only for Amanyanabo. Amanyanabo can travel through any means he deems fit. But we are suffering – sea pirates raping our women, killing our mothers, our fathers, our people. So many things have been happening. And now Federal Government has decided that they are going to give us road in conjunction with NLNG and somebody is coming to stop it. No, not at all. It is not good. It shouldn’t be.

What would you advise those youths that are carrying out the agitation over the disputed land in relation to that road that is being constructed now?

My advice is that they should allow this road to come and for us to enjoy it properly because tomorrow it is we that will benefit from it. Wherever His Majesty have given them to use shouldn’t be a contest to use in stopping that project. As I said earlier, the land was given by the late Amanyanabo, King Secondus to NEPA. And if His Majesty has said go and stay there and not like they are acquiring the place – even if they want to acquire the place they will also go through His Majesty, especially, now that, that place is owned by His Majesty. They will also go to His Majesty to talk about it but they are not acquiring the place – they should allow them to come and do their job. But Berger should know that they should employ the Finima and Bonny youths at large. They should employ them because they know today that there is hunger in the land. Nigeria today, everybody is trying to see how they can manage and survive. So, they should employ them. They should give them space of employment and work with them. That job is being delivered so that we all can benefit from it. And then so that there will be a dual entrance into Bonny so that people can have alternatives. If you don’t want to come by boat you can also come by road. These can help to minimise the sea piracy and other crimes. My advice to them is that they should soft pedal and allow this road to be completed. Nobody should try to scuttle the project because it is something that we will benefit from tomorrow and our children’s children will also come and benefit.

Recently, the Local Government Chairman called a meeting of representatives of both the Jumbo and Brown Houses. Do you think the Chairman did the right thing by calling these two houses to douse the tension and allow the project to go ahead?

Yes, he is the chief security officer of the LGA. What he has done was what he was supposed to do. When it comes to issues like this, he has to come out first to address it. And if he has called the Jumbo and Brown to talk to them to ask them to soft pedal, he has done the right thing. I think that is how it is supposed to be. But what I am trying to say is that for him to have called the Brown House without calling the other two houses that is where he made a mistake. I will say it was an oversight on his part. He should have called the three houses. Although I was in Port Harcourt when they called that we were supposed to hold a meeting with Local Government Chairman and the three houses in Finima with Jumbo House. When I was planning to come over they now called again that the meeting has been postponed and that they will give us a new date. But surprisingly, I was made to understand that the meeting held and when I asked who and who was in the meeting it was then they told me that it was the Jumbo and Brown Houses, which I told them that, that was not supposed to be. The local government chairman should also know that Finima is a community made up of three chieftaincy houses. And when it comes to land matters or whatever he should also make sure that the three chieftaincy houses are there represented in any negotiation or discussion. So, saying that he is talking to the Brown and the Jumbos, if today now they say we have accepted and they soft pedal, and then Tobin wake up tomorrow, they will say Tobin has come. Is it not the same Finima? No, Sir. What I am saying is that if you want to do something do it right so that tomorrow there is no room for anybody to agitate for anything. I am appealing to the local government chairman that next meeting or subsequent things he wants to do as it concerns Finima he should know that Finima is made up of three chieftaincy houses.

Sometime ago, we woke one morning to hear of Paramount Ruler of Finima but somehow we are wondering whether it fizzled away or the people playing it up became quiet or whatever. What actually happened?

Well, talking about paramount ruler, how can you have a paramount ruler in a kingdom where you have a King? Have you seen in a kingdom where you have two paramount rulers? Well, anybody can wake up tomorrow and tag himself anything but it will only end in his bedroom and outside his balcony. It doesn’t go beyond that place. You can answer anything you want to answer.

So, how is the Tobin House preparing for the train 7? We understand the Amanyanabo of Bonny has set up a local content monitoring committee to monitor all that is going to happen in that project and to ensure that Bonny Kingdom has what it is supposed to have deservedly. Is the Tobin House part of this process?

Yes, His Majesty picked people from Finima, of which Tobin is there, Brown is there and I think Attoni should be there also. So, I think the Tobin House is well represented and the Brown House is also well represented. The representative of Tobin House is Amasenibo Dagogo Joseph Tobin. He is the representative from Tobin House. Then from Brown House the person is Gogo Philip Adum Brown and Charles Obuibi, the present Chairman of the Finima Youth Congress now. They are there and they are working together. If they are saying they are not part of it, what His Majesty has done is the right thing, he should make sure that the dividends of train 7 come in full because if you look at Bonny it is still looking as ancient as what it was in ancient times. And from the base project to train 6 that has come and gone, nothing good apart from our children having money to buy CD, making noise, buy things, and not knowing the value of not going to school which have actually set the children backward. That is the only thing they enjoy. That is not enjoyment. But if proper things were put in place by this time I think Bonny would have been a small London because of the dividend by the multinationals in bonny island. All those thatch houses that are in Bonny they would have gotten money to revise and change it and bring it to modern houses. There will be side attraction for people to come and see how Bonny is. When they had that blockade of NLNG and the then President Obasanjo came. What did he say? He said that Bonny is still what he used to know it as, that Bonny has not grown. That is what President Olusegun Obasanjo said. Which means, for him to have made that comment, that means we are still in that archaic level of life and thinking. And now, His Majesty having this vision that at least any company that is coming to do any project should carry along the indigenous contractors and he local content issue and everything. It is a good thing. It will bring development into Bonny Kingdom. I appreciate him for that. I will tell him thank you and he should do more.