The Tobin (Konibo-ye-Awanta) Chieftaincy House of Finima in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State says erstwhile Executive Director, Corporate Services at the Bank of Industry (BOI), Jonathan Banimibofori Tobin does not have the mandate to act on behalf of or represent the House at any time and in any capacity.

The House further said that the assertion by Jonathan Tobin, who holds the Ibani title of Amaopusenibo of Bonny Kingdom, in suit No. PHC/766/CS/2022, wherein he claimed to “be acting for himself and on behalf of the Tobin (Konibo-Ye-Awanta) Chieftaincy House of Finima” is “deceptive”.

This was part of a resolution titled: “RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS OF TOBIN (KONIBO-YE-AWANTA) CHIEFTAINCY HOUSE OF FINIMA, GRAND BONNY”, which was reached at a meeting of the Tobin House Council of Elders on Sunday, November 27, 2022 in Finima, Bonny, which had six out of the seven members in attendance.  

The resolution was made and signed by Wariopusenibo Darlington A. Tobin, KSC; Wariopusenibo Fimienye M. Tobin; Wariopusenibo Barasua J. Tobin (James Burusu); Wariopusenibo Golden D. Tobin (Sunday Burusu); Wariopusenibo Benneth Tobin (Atapirigha Burusu); Wariopusenibo Gogo O. Tobin (Owunabo Burusu); and Wariopusenibo Asamawari Y. Tobin (Young Burusu).

The resolution, as sighted by Kristina Reports, reads:

“1. That Amaopusenibo Jonathan B. Tobin has not got the mandate of the Tobin (Konibo-Ye-Awanta) Chieftaincy House of Finima in Bonny Kingdom to represent the House in any capacity.

2. That Amaopusenibo Jonathan B. Tobin claim in suit No. PHC/766/CS/2022 to be acting for himself and on behalf of the Tobin (Konibo-Ye-Awanta) Chieftaincy House of Finima is deceptive.”

3. That we the under signed Burusu (Unit) Heads are the only traditionally authorized body to give such mandate.

4. And such mandate has not been given to Amaopusenibo Jonathan B. Tobin.

We the undersigned Burusu (Unit) heads, on behalf of the Council of Elders so resolved.”

Also, in a bid to get the family back on its feet and functional again, the House appointed Wariopusenibo Darlington Tobin as interim Chairman and Wariopusenibo Golden Tobin as interim Secretary of its Elders Council.

In the Bonny Kingdom traditional leadership structure, in the absence of a Chief and Head, the Elders Council has exclusive jurisdiction to administer the House.  

This development is coming after a High Court in Rivers State restrained the erstwhile Chairman and Chief-Elect of the House, Dagogo Tobin from parading himself as such and also his arch traducer, Jonathan Tobin from laying any claim to the Chairmanship of the House.  

Furthermore, the Elders Council retrained the House Treasurer, Warisenibo Godswill Mark Tobin, and Welfare/ Protocol Officer, Wariopusenibo Barasua James Tobin, from acting in their various capacities on an interim basis.

Efforts by Kristina Reports to have the reaction of Jonathan Tobin to this development in his House proved abortive as at the time of this report as calls to his line did not connect and messages sent via WhatsApp messaging application and short message service (SMS) were not responded to.

The Tobin (Konibo-ye-Awanta) House is one of the three Chieftaincy Houses that make up Finima Community in Bonny LGA, Rivers State. The other two houses are the Buoye Omuso Brown House (BOBH) and Attoni House. All three are part of the larger Bonny Kingdom which alongside Opobo Kingdom make up the Ibani ethnic nationality, subset of the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.