Several years after its founding, the Jack Manilla Pepple Chieftaincy House of Olom-Abalama Community in Bonny Kingdom, Rivers State has placed its Alali-Aru (carnival canoe) inside its Aruwari (boat house).

This happened on Friday, February 23, 2024 in Olom-Abalama (Oguede) in Bonny LGA, Rivers State and witnessed by a motley crowd of community members who trooped out to see history being made in their land.

Relishing the moment, the Chief and Head of Jack Manilla Pepple House, Wari-Alabo Iganima Jack Manilla Pepple said the day’s event signposts the consolidated development trajectory of the community and the House, stressing that it was part of his vision upon assuming headship of the House.

In an interview with Kristina Reports, the Chief and Head of Jack Manilla Pepple House, Wari-Alabo Iganima Jack Manilla Pepple said that under his leadership the House now has the four basic requirements of being a chieftaincy house which is the Opuwari (community hall), Aruwari (boat house), Gigi (war canoe), and Owu-Ogbo (masquerade group).   

“Well, let me, first of all, thank you for being here to report this very important historic coming of the Gigi of the Jack Manilla Pepple Chieftaincy House.”

“In Bonny tradition, there are four basic things that a chieftaincy house should have, very basic and significant; one of them is the Opuwari, two is the Aruwari, three is the Gigi, and four is the Owu-Ogbo.

He stated that the day’s event underscored the fact that the Jack Manilla Pepple House is now a fully constituted chieftaincy house, noting that the developmental strides achieved by the House under his leadership has served to strengthen the bonds of unity therein.

“By the special grace of God, under my leadership or headship as the Chief and Head of this place, we’ve been able to get all these things in place, meaning that we are fully happy and we can beat our chest to say we have met the very important features that can make you to stand tall to say you are a chieftaincy house in Grand Bonny Kingdom, especially, in line with Bonny customs and traditions.”

“This is very important because since I was born, I’ve never seen a Gigi in this House, even those that are my senior will also attest to the fact that we have never experienced a Gigi in this House, and it’s very symbolic.

“One of the things that was my very watchword when I came on board was consolidation. We started by building the waiting hall. Shortly after the waiting hall, we embarked on fencing the cemetery. After the cemetery we built an estate. After estate, we built this Aruwari. After Aruwari, the Owu-Ogbo Egwa, shore protection and the Gigi.

“Of course, I’m believing that with what I’m seeing this is driving most of the people that do not agree with us, those of our brothers who are saying it shouldn’t be so to come home.”  

“But they are seeing what God is using us to do and what the ancestors are agreeing that we do, I think they will have a rethink from what we are seeing, God being our helper.”

Also speaking with Kristina Reports, a Warisenibo of Jumbo Major House with maternal affinity with the Manilla Pepple Group of Houses, Dagogo Jumbo  

“My mother is from Fubara Manilla Pepple and Oguede, that is Jack Manilla Pepple is a part of the Fubara Manilla Pepple Group of Houses. I play active role in my mother’s side. What will make the House move forward is where I stand.”

“Based on that, I found out that the Wari-Alabo (Iganima Pepple) is touching the lives of people and community. I believe in progress. Whatever will make the people happy and will make the House progress I stand by that because if Jack Manilla Pepple is progressing that means that Fubara Manilla Pepple, as a whole is progressing.”

He stated that he designed the old Aruwari but expressed happiness with the new design and emplacement of the Gigi in it, stressing that the developmental strides of the incumbent Chief of the House were noteworthy, expressing the hope that the Bonny Chiefs Council will deem it imperative to induct him into the Council as a country chief.

“From time immemorial, I don’t Olom-Abalama, that is Oguede have had it like this. They had an Aruwari for a long time but they did not have a Gigi. The Aruwari now has taken a new look. Incidentally, I designed the old Aruwari and I built it but today that oil that was inside the pipeline is gradually coming out of the pipeline.”

“So, we are seeing the dividends of the oil coming out from the pipeline and I believe that in due course, this new chief will be admitted in the Bonny Chiefs Council to now make him the next chief since after 120 years of presenting the first chief because other chiefs that headed the House had not been presented to the Chiefs Council.”

On his part, a former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Bonny LGA, Charles Jumbo attributed the epochal milestone to divine mercies, noting that his long term relationship with Wari-Alabo Iganima Pepple has been predicated on his penchant for driving development.

“For me, first and foremost, I have to give glory to God for what is happening in Oguede Community. Sincerely, God has made it possible for us and I’m so, so delighted to be a partaker of this.”

“I was invited by a very close friend of mine, the Chief of Jack Manilla Pepple House that they are getting their Gigi down here and because of what I have known him for that is the reason why I came to be with them and it’s a good development.”

“In this kingdom, we know that this Jack Manilla Pepple House has been backward but with the leadership of Chief Iganima Jack Manilla Pepple I think there is progress

On her part, a former lawmaker in Rivers State, Esther Pepple thanked God for the day’s event, asserting that the community can only be thankful to God for the history made, expressing the hope that the development trend since Wari-Alabo Iganima Pepple became the Chief will bring peace and diversity.

“Actually, I want to thank God first for a day like this because it’s a thing of joy. I grew up in Oguede Community. I’ve not witnessed such and my mum told me that since she was born she has not witnessed such.”

“So, it’s a thing of joy for us to be alive to witness such an occasion, such historic event in Oguede Community. It’s worth thanking God for.”

“This was only done by God. Man can’t do this and God should take the glory because it’s something that will unite the community and brings peace and diversity. It cuts across Bonny Kingdom.”

On his part, a former lawmaker and Warisenibo of Dappa-ye-Amakiriama family of Kalaibiama Community in Bonny LGA, Solomon Pollyn asserted that with the Gigi, the Jack Manilla Pepple House has completed the statutory requirements for being a chieftaincy house in Bonny Kingdom.

Without Gigi, in our customs and traditions, as long as Bonny Kingdom is concerned, the House is incomplete, in fact, it’s not a chieftaincy house.”

“But with what we are seeing, so far, this is a full chieftaincy house of ancient Grand Bonny, because this is a pride; this is the pride of the House and the pride of the Wari-Alabo or the Chief or the Se-Alabo-in-Council.”

“So, this is why people like us, the titled citizens, and other notable men and women, we are happy, we are happy with Jack Manilla Pepple House, that within the space of a year and some months, they have been up and doing, commissioning, commissioning, commissioning and commissioning.

“No wonder the Bible said, “when the righteous lead or rule, the people rejoice”; you can see now, the enthusiasm all over.”