Calm, collected and coordinated in thought processing and issues elocution. Punchy, pungent and poignant in assertions about his convictions. Tamunotonye Martins-Brown takes no prisoners when out on the battlefield, in venting his arsenal against opposing views, his queries carry depth, his postulations reflect deep thought, and his demeanor serene always as if he wasn’t about anything.

Martins-Brown, who holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Human Resources Management from the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, a Knight of Garrick Braide (KGB), Member Chartered Institute of Administration (MCIA) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), and a Fellow Chartered Institute of Human Resources Management (FCIHRM) and Fellow Institute of Management Consultant (FIMC), is the immediate past Chairman of the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House (BOBH) Asawo.  

In this riveting interview with Kristina Reports’ Correspondent, Emily Igoerechinma, the Human Resources Management expert addressed issues raised by his kinsman and Chairman of Konibo-ye-Awanta Tobin House of Finima, Darlington Tobin, in a recent interview with Kristina Reports. He responded to posers raised by the latter, clarified certain issues espoused by the Chief and Head of his House, and literally challenged the status quo, calling for a paradigm shift in the way issues are perceived in Bonny Kingdom as a whole. Would you agree or disagree with him? Let’s know in the comment section when you’re done reading him. Enjoy.

Kristina Reports: In a recent interview, the Chairman of Tobin House, Darlington Tobin, disclaimed certain claims made by the Amadabo of Finima, particularly the creation of Tobin House. While the Amadabo claimed Tobin House was created as a minor house in 1961, the Tobin House Chairman said it was 1826. He further stated that as of 1961, Brown House did not have a chief. How do you react to this?

First, I don’t know if you are aware that you can’t address Mr. Darlington Tobin as Chairman of Tobin House Elders Council, as far as we know, that is if they even have one. Amaopusenibo Pastor Jonathan Gladden Tobin has through the court restrained Mr. Darlington Tobin and Mr. Dagogo Tobin from bearing whether chairman or chief elect of their House. The documents are in the public domain. Meanwhile, he likes to be known and addressed as Wariopusenibo. If I may ask, who gave him such a title? Yet, he had the audacity to query why the Chief and Head of Buoye Omuso Brown Major House, Aseme-Alabo Engr. Dagogo Lambert Brown, Kongo XVII, and the Amadabo of Finima Community – who by all standards possesses all qualities, including professional competencies to man any level of leadership, who was properly installed and coronated by the Wari-Alapu-in-Council – should bear Amadabo of Finima. Well, we don’t blame him. This is where we found ourselves in Bonny.

I honestly expect Mr. Darlington Tobin, to be thankful to the leadership of Buoye Omuso Brown Major House for sustaining him when things were tough at some point. Since he is claiming ignorance of the status and place of Buoye Omuso Brown Major House in Bonny Kingdom, would he also claim that he is unaware that the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House is among the five Duawari or that we are among the fourteen Major Houses in Bonny Kingdom, while his family, the Konibo-Ye-Awanta Tobin House is just a Minor House in Bonny Kingdom? If he has not read the history, the calendars are there to help him identify where the Brown Major House seats and where the Tobin Minor House belong to in the Kingdom. We didn’t write or print those calendars even though we had moved from Opuwari (Major) and Kalawari (Minor) Houses, respectively. It has changed to chieftaincy houses only but still did not change the facts that there are Duawari, Major and Minor Houses in Bonny Kingdom.

For us, it is not strange, as you well know, that Mr. Darlington Tobin is not speaking as his normal self but as a sponsored agent and that is why if you had taken a closer look in the past, we don’t bother ourselves for such unimaginable and adulterated history by Mr. Darlington Tobin, as responding to him, will amount to nothing but give him credence or the attention he has been seeking for by the innocent public. We know too well that he is being sponsored by our distractors, and they know that as Brown House, we can match them if they bring out their ugly heads anytime and any day. Hence, they chose to be hiding behind characters like Darlington Tobin and his cohorts. For some of us, we have deliberately ignored these lies he called history because of some well-meaning members of the Konibo-Ye-Awanta Tobin House.

Now, responding to your question regarding the creation of Tobin Minor House in Finima of Bonny Kingdom, whether it was created in 1826 or 1961, he can continue to disclaim as much as he could, but the truth shall remain the truth because even those sponsoring him know the truth and will be laughing at him for making himself available as nuisance. I would like to start with their relationship to Finima Community according to history. It all started with one Otunte, an Andoni man who was captured to Bonny during one of the wars between Bonny and Andoni. Otunte served the then King Opubo, and that was how he and other Andonis were assimilated into Bonny Kingdom. Otunte later begat two sons, Diri and Waribo. Diri begat Konibo. They both later moved to Finima as fishermen. Of course, you must have heard about how Buo, the father of Chief Omuso Brown and Konibo concubinage relationship with Buo’s wife and begat a son Owanta, which was later called Awanta.

Secondly, he claimed Ijumangibo Tobin and Abraham Sunday were chiefs, which is not true but blatant lies. What we have on record was that there was a failed attempt at installing Abraham Sunday Tobin as a Chief of Tobin House as a minor chieftaincy house under Brown Major House. This was during late Chief Henry Buowari Brown’s reign. It failed because of his gross insubordination to the Brown Major House, the same as the current generations are doing today. But later, the son of Abraham Sunday, Samuel Owunabo Tobin, later became a Chief of the Tobin House in 1961 as the first chief and became recognised as a minor chieftaincy House of Brown House in Bonny Kingdom. So, if there are documents on how the Tobin House was created in 1826 with their chiefs as opposed to what the Amadabo had said, which is the true history, he should present his facts with evidence.

Since he is asking for documented evidences, he can also read the followings to help him understand the difference in status between the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House and the Konibo-Ye-Awanta Tobin House that we don’t belong in the same status as long as Bonny Kingdom is concerned: “The Trading States of Oil Rivers” by G. I. Jones, published in 1963, “Weber’s Intelligence Report on Bonny”, 1936, “A History of Grand Bonny” by Professor E. J. Alagoa, published in 1972.

To further help Mr. Darlington Adango Tobin; I was particularly happy that he challenged the Amadabo of Finima, Aseme-Alabo Engr. Dagogo Lambert Brown to make documented evidence public. It shows that Mr. Darlington Adango Tobin doesn’t have any atom of respect. But we don’t also blame him. If he is still not convinced which I am certain that after reading these documents, he will be. I can help him with more documented evidence. I’ll start by asking Mr. Darlington Adango Tobin to refer to same Adams Intelligent Report that he also referred to on Bonny Kingdom as attached pages 35, 36 and 39 and I am giving Mr. Darlington Adango Tobin to publish similar documents to show the status of his Tobin Chieftaincy House as of 1936 in Bonny Kingdom.

Also, please let Mr. Darlington Adango Tobin publish within 48 hours’ similar documents to show whether the Tobin House family has a recognised chieftaincy stool in Bonny Kingdom as of 1949. Page 37 clearly mentioned Chief Henry Buowari Brown and Chief Mark Attoni as the then seating Chiefs and Heads of Buoye Omuso Brown Major House and Attoni Houses, respectively, vis-à-vis their economic value to the Kingdom in terms of taxable males in these Houses.

The problem with the likes of Darlington Tobin is just ego. As we had repeatedly published that there are so many evidential pronouncements from courts of competent jurisdiction declaring the ownership of Finima lands in Finima Community. The records are there for the world to see. Justice O. Inko-Tariah, judgment: Suit No. PHC/174/73. We also have a very recent pronouncement by Justice S. Aprioku in Suit No. PHC/227/2014 on the founding of Finima land.

What other documents does he want to make it clear that the issue of Finima land is a sole preserve of the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House? This is their biggest headache and Darlington or any other characters like him, his cohorts and sponsors cannot do otherwise. Instead of keying in and joining hands to develop our beloved community, he would rather be ranting always about Buoye Omuso Brown Major House. Let me warn him that it would amount to nothing and might bring him doom at the end if he doesn’t repent as we are talking of an ancestral land especially Finima Community.

In that same interview, the Tobin House Chairman said Bonny Kingdom operates n chieftaincy house basis, and as such, the term Amadabo is alien to the Kingdom. Do you agree with him?

How is the term Amadabo alien to you or any Ibani son or daughter who should understand the meaning of Amadabo as their mother tongue? It can only be those that doesn’t understand the Ibani language. Recently, we had the same arguments when the issues of Asaawo and Ogbo-Biri Asaawo came up. How to distinguish both levels/categories of men was an issue and is still there until this minute. If you remember, we had similar issues when the Buoye Brown Major House called Wari-Alabo/Wari-Alapu. As you may be aware, the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House has always shown this leadership from time and will continue to show that leadership as long as Finima is concerned. How Bonny operates absolutely has nothing to do with the Amadabo and members of Buoye Omuso Brown Major House of Finima Community. As long as we are doing the right thing, in all posterity will judge.

He also stated that only the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom has the power to create chieftaincy and no other. He queried where Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert derived the powers as chief and head of a chieftaincy house to create another chieftaincy house. Do you have any answers for him?

That is the problem with us. Are we talking of the Amanyanabo? We like bringing this to every discussion. For me, we are busy on how to improve and bring developments to the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House and Finima Community and nothing else. Darlington is a young man and may not understand how things really work. After all, his highest credential is that he was once a Vice Chairman of the Bonny Kingdom Employment Bureau, and recently, I heard he is working as a HR Assistant for one of the SCD JV in the Train 7 project. Today, he had the effrontery to challenge the Amadabo that spent more than two and half decades in different IOCs during his work career. If you remember, during the reign of late Chief Israel Idamieibi Brown, of blessed memory, he left the Bonny Chiefs Council for obvious reasons and never returned until his demise. Same with late Aseme-Alabo Yibo Buowari Brown. The truth is that when someone doesn’t like your father, there is no need to pretend because he will not see anything good what you do.

You know we have the economic advantage but have never been treated well, and we are not bothered. As far as we are concerned, Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown, as the Chief and Head of Buoye Omuso Brown Major House and his Council have done well based on our assessments and is doing what is right for the development of the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House and Finima Community for this past two years. The chieftaincy houses in question are sub houses in Brown Major House, and so, I don’t see why the worries and crying more than the bereaved. No one is asking the kingdom to come and fund the newly created sub houses in Brown House. We are more than capable.

Also, he raised the issue of the redemption of Omuso the first Chief of the Buoye Omuso Brown House, saying that for the BOBH should go to George Pepple to claim its rights given that Omuso was redeemed and as such belongs to the Perekule dynasty. Do you agree with him?

I don’t know if you are aware that before Omuso, Finima used to have clan heads. I can’t imagine how the redemption of a free born like Omuso would now make him belong to who redeemed him in a ship. The story of Omuso is not strange to history and we have not denied that Omuso’s brothers and relations, conspired to send him on exile, by giving him to a European slave ship and how he was saved by Captain Hart on board their slave ship.

The fact is Omuso is a free born of Finima in Bonny Kingdom and not like Otunte, an Andoni man who was captured to Bonny during one of the wars between Bonny and Andoni. Otunte served the then King Opubo. The facts are there and not mere stories. So, how does the BOBH belong to George Pepple. We keep changing our history just to score cheap relevance before people. You are here when Brown House stayed for more than a decade without a Chief and as soon as we were able to come together, concluded the process of nominating, installed and coronated the Chief and Head of the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House, Aseme Alabo Engr. Dagogo Lambert Brown, Kongo XVII and the Amadabo of Finima. We heard different history of how Buoye Omuso Brown Major House Chiefs are capped by the Hart House, and until this minute, we are yet to have any documented evidence. These are all fallacies.

Back in history according to various authorities on Bonny history, Finima along with several other families and communities voluntarily subscribed to be part of what is now Bonny Kingdom. With the creation of the Finima Council of Chiefs, is Finima exiting Bonny Kingdom?

We are Bonny people, and we have never denied that fact, and we will remain Bonny people. I am happy that you said, “Finima along with several other families and communities voluntarily subscribed to be part of what is now Bonny Kingdom”. The reason then was for administrative convenience as at that time. But even at that, as a Finima man, I cannot throw away my father’s name simply because I want to be a Finima or Bonny man. If you observe keenly, you will realise that most villages are gradually going extinct because they are now running away from their own villages, abandoning, and migrating into the main Bonny Island. Some don’t even want to accept their own villages but for the Finima man, especially, the Brown House men and women, we are very proud of our Finima Community and our various Burusu/family units and that is why we are blessed for sustaining our community heritage.

So, to answer you, we are not exiting Bonny. But if trying to expand our Council for reasons of more development means exiting Bonny, that is their own cup of tea. I don’t believe that anyone can leave his House to come and dictate to the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House how to run his affairs in his own House or community. We will resist such individual or group of individuals.

In many quarters, certain developments in Finima, especially, those within the leadership spectrum are viewed as an affront to the King Perekule throne. Now, given that the BOBH claims ancestral lineage to Opu Ipuo and Ipuo, does this not appear to be a controversy?

Certain developments like what? That I decided to call myself a name or that I have the financial means to build a befitting palace for myself or that I upgraded my family units to sub chieftaincy stools and because of envy someone viewed these as an affront? What’s our business with how someone else fell about me?

Like they say, “no one can tell your story more than yourself”. We are not bothered. What we are interested in the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House is how to develop and attract more developments to Finima Community.

Thinking about how people like Mr. Darlington Tobin, his cohorts and sponsors are feeling is just a distraction, and we are not interested. I am only worried for the innocent youths that they have been deceiving over the years and some thrown into jail, and very soon, some will become ex-convicts like their late elders that were convicted by late Chief Idamiebe Israel Brown. That is just my worry. They should realise and come together with other well-meaning Tobin House members to develop the Tobin House and Finima Community. We want peace and not all these distractions.