KONIJU KINGSHIP: AN ATTEMPT TO Re-write the history of Okrika and FORMENT UNNECESSARY CRISIS IN OKRIKA TOWN.
French philosopher, Victor Hugo, admonished that evil trives, because good men and women often chose to keep silent or do nothing.
The Holy Scriptures in Job Chapter 24 verse 2 (New Living Translation (NLT) tells us that “Evil people steal land by moving the boundary markers. They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures”
This is why we have chosen to respond to attempts to enthrone evil, through a contrived KONIJU KINGSHIP.
Recently, the Rivers State governor, His Excellency Sir Siminialayi Fubara, was politically misled into issuing an official Gazette, ordering “That the first schedule to the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law, No. 4 of 2015 be amended as shown hereunder: “By inserting at Column 2(1st Class) at serial No.18 (OKRIKA) the traditional cheiftancy stool known as and called Amanyanabo of KONIJU”.
Its important to note that Rivers State since it’s creation in 1967 has been governed by 16 former Governors ,five of them are former indigenous Governors of the new Rivers State,excluding Bayalsa State.How ever non of the five former Governors gave Recognition to the Amanyanabo of koniju in Okrika Town because it’s illegal.
Not only is illegal, but a grave assault on history and tradition, and also a travesty of justice aimed at Okrika people.
To properly situate this grave assault on our people, history and tradition, we must beckon on history to be our guide.
The first question that arises is, what is the origin of KONIJU? When and how did they emerge? ,Okrika clan is made up of 9 nine Ancient Towns namely- Okrika(kirike) Town,Ogoloma,Ogu, Bolo,Abuloma,Ogbogbo,Ibaka,Isaka,Ele.No koniju .
According to a colonial document issued by the District Officer of Degema Province on 23 November, 1953, Okrika was made up of 12 ( quarters) known as Biri, namely; Ambeme Biri, Agba, Egwere, Bilime, Tomo, Bulome, Edereme, Awolome, Adedeme, Ngeme, Amanongo Biri and Anyangu. These are the Biris that make up Okrika Town, under the suzerainty of the Amanyanabo of Okrika Town.
There is no component or Biri known as KONIJU.
The Nigerian Gazette published in Lagos, 20th March, 1953, on the Report of an Inquiry held under the Collective Punishment Ordinance (Chapter 34) on the crisis between Okrika and Ogoloma towns, which referenced the Porter Intelligence Report (1933) on the Okrika clan and the report of the Robinson Commission of Enquiry (1950) into the Okrika -Kalabari disputes, identified and re-,affirmed the 12 Biris afformentiined as the components of Okrika Town.
In the book “MY DESTINY; AN AUTO BIOGRAPHY OF HRH SIR S.P.U. OGAN , ADO VIII, AMANYANABO OF OKRIKA”, the revered monarch wrote, “Between 1896, when King Ibanichuka, Ado VI, Amanyanabo of Okrika, was deported by the British Colonial powers and 1928, Chief Daniel Oju Kalio was the undisputed Paramount ruler of Okrika. At his demise, in 1928, when I was still a minor, Chief Samson Igobo Adoki had the ambition of imposing himself as Paramount ruler, because he was educated and enlightened. But when his fellow chiefs opposed him, the result was a bitter rivalry, which culminated in the division of the kingdom into KONIJU and TUBONIJU.
According to the proceedings of the Graham Commission of Inquiry into the incessant cause of Riots in Okrika, 1962 -1963, Chief Samson Igobo Adoki, during his testimony denied that he was the originator of the KONIJU and TUBONIJU. He said that names KONIJU and TUBONIJU were just appelations merely used to show the occupation of Okrika people. TUBONIJU means TRADERS and KONIJU means FISHERFOLKS.
The report of the Commission of Inquiry into the outbreak of violence in Okrika (Official document No. 23 of 1963) abhored the division of Okrika Town into Koniju and Tuboniju.
According to the report,” Government should commence the process by which the division of Okrika Town into Koniju and Tuboniju sections, will eventually disappear, by no longer dealing, through it’s agents, -the Provincial Commissioner and Provincial Secretary-, with the Chief Honourable Samson Adoki and Chief John George, as the respective head chiefs of these sections and deal with Okrika as a whole through the legally constituted legal instruments of government, the Okrika Town Council….”
It is therefore strange and bewildering to understand the basis of the Rivers State Government Gazzette No. 23, Vol. 59 of 28th December, 2023.
Clearly the purpose of the orchestrators and facilitators of this heinous attempt to divide Okrika Town is to plunge Okrika into a fresh round of crisis. Seeking to carve out a non existent town and a non existent stool as a counter poise to the known and widely recognized stool of Amanyanabo of Okrika Town, is a recipe for chaos and anarchy.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria in Suit No 13/87/1963 SC 615/1965 between Chief Gabriel Wemimo Opu-Tibeya and R.J. Graham, administrative Officer and Attorney-General, Ministry of Justice, Eastern region, affirmed the report of the Graham Commission of Inquiry that Okrika Town is made up of 12 Biris, with the Amanyanabo of Okrika as it’s Paramount ruler.
The KONIJU phenomena can be traced to the failed bud of Chief Samson Igobo Adoki in 1928 to foist himself as the paramount ruler of Okrika. Having failed in his bid, he introduced the KONIJU and TUBONIJU controversy, which has since been tested by several court judgements.
We therefore urge Governor Siminalayi Fubara to retrace his steps and not allow himself to be used in a desperate attempt by equally desperate modern day incarnation of Samson Adoki to plunge Okrika Town into an unnecessary and avoidable crisis. Gov. Fubara swore to an oath to uphold the law. The Rivers State Gazette No.23 of December 28th, 2023 is in direct contradiction to previous court judgments.
We wish to remind His Excellency the teachings of the Holy Scriptures in Deuteronomy Chapter 19, verse 14 ; “Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess”.
We urge the government to seek wise professional counsel such as historians with reference to late Prof Emeritus Tekena Tamuno ,Prof Emeritus Alaguo and others who made the 1978 chieftaincy Law without problems in our communities and allow peace to reign in Okrika.