Tobin House Asawo Inaugurates New Executives, Chairman Charges Youths to Own Founder’s Legacy
The Asawo na Ere-Awo (youths) of Tobin Konibo-Ye-Awanta Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State have inaugurated a new Executive to serve the next dispensation of two years.
The inauguration was conducted by the Chairman of the Elders Council of the House, Wariopusenibo Darlington Tobin at the Olom Wari (House Secretariat) of the House in Finima Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The newly inaugurated Executive comprises Gift Tobin; Chairman, Martins Tobin; Vice Chairman, Ibiwari Tobin; Secretary, Sepiribo Tobin; Assistant Secretary, Victor Tobin; Public Relations Officer, Stephen Tobin; Financial Secretary, Michael Tobin; Treasurer, Sopiriala Tobin; Welfare Officer, and Jeremiah Tobin; Provost.
Giving his charge to the newly inaugurated executive, Chairman of the Tobin Konibo-ye-Awanta Chieftaincy House Elders Council, Wariopusenibo Darlington Tobin congratulated them on their emergence, tasking them with preserving the legacy of the founding fathers, asserting that the House remains indomitable despite invidious attacks by its enemies.
“I want to tell you that…we will not let Tobin House fall. We will not let Tobin House to be laughed at. God will not let me laugh at us. Trust me, as a young man that came into this house, I have never at one point entertained any atom of fear for this house.”
“If you look at the antecedents and the predicament that has befallen this house in the past, I mean when our fathers were just four, five and six, that was when the adversaries of this house did everything. They were in government; they have money and everything.”
“They did everything humanly possible to crush this house over 40 years ago. Our fathers were just five or six then. If then that they were in government, when I mean government, not local government; they were in state government, and they have money. They have the connections. They have the courts. They have the police. They even have the army and everything at their disposal. God stood for this House and they were unable to sink this House.
Today, Tobin House, by the grace of Almighty God, we are more than 200. If they cannot sink five persons, then they cannot come and sink 200 persons. We’ve passed that stage of being sunk. The immediate past Chief of this House named one of his daughters: Tobin Wari oh Fabia (meaning that this house will not fall).”
“Let me also tell you here now that the kind of faces I’m seeing here today, I know that Tobin House will stand. Yes. In as much as we are not disposed to the communal funds and every other thing, individually, are we not doing well? Are we begging people? No. We are not beggars. We are doing well and we will do better.”
He praised the Chief-Elect of the House, Amasenibo Dagogo Tobin for being forthright, decisive and pragmatic on the issue of the youth election, thanking him, the elders, Chairman of the Opu Asawo of the House and Electoral Committee for the support availed the youth, while tasking the youths of the House to support the executive to succeed.
In his goodwill message to the newly inaugurated Executive, Chairman of the Opu-Asawo, Bara Tobin congratulated them on their emergence, urging them to prioritize the upliftment and empowerment of youths of the House, noting that their election is more divine than political, enjoining them to be conscious of that reality.
“I congratulate all of them that have inaugurated today but I want them to be conscious of the fact that it is more God’s hand selecting them to serve than merely being elected. So, they should focus on lifting up their brothers and sisters.”
He stated that the Tobin House has remain the bastion of preserving the historical heritage of Finima Community and Bonny Kingdom and will remain so, tasking the youths not to be distracted from their ancestral role clearly cut out for them by the progenitor of the House, the Great Awanta.
In his inaugural speech, the newly elected Chairman of Asawo na Ere-Awo, Gift Tobin thanked the youths for electing him and his executive to serve them, as well as the Elders Council for endorsing their election and subsequent inauguration.
“We are grateful to the Asawo of this great house for electing me as your leader. Chairman, on behalf of my executive, I say thank you. We know we are not the best. We know we are not the most intelligent in the house, but we promise to serve you at this point as your leader.”
He appealed for support, assuring that his executive will work to move the house to the next level, pleading with aggrieved youths of the house to come together to resolve any difference amongst them so that they can make progress.
“We are grateful and we said that we are going to serve this house with our might, our mind and then we make sure that we take this house to a greater level with your support because we cannot do it alone.”
“We need you to support us in everything we are about to do. We need your support. We need you to work with us hand in hand to make sure all these things come to reality.”
“To our brothers, our sisters that are not involved in our activities, please let us do well to come together. To be honest, we are one and cannot be divided. We are one body.”
“Come what may, whatever this house, we are one. And we urge our brothers, those that are angry, those that are not happy, please come together so that we can sort out things and move this house forward.”
Stakeholders have expressed excitement that no less a person than the incumbent Vice Chairman of the Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre (BIRC), Gift Tobin has emerged as leader of the Tobin Konibo-ye-Awanta Tobin House.
They view this development as the dawn of a new era and an indication that better days are ahead for youths of Tobin House, Finima Community and Bonny Kingdom, as a whole.
