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Wari-Seniapu (Elders) of Buoye-Omuso Royal Group of Houses Respond to Bonny Titled Citizens Assembly (TCA) in Defiant Press Statement

By Engr Tamunofiniarisa Brown | Finima, Nigeria

In a bold and detailed press statement, the Wari-Seniapu—accredited representatives and heads of the various nucleus family units (Burusu) within the Buoye Omuso Brown Group of Houses of Finima—have issued a strong rebuttal to what they describe as a misleading and biased publication by the Tittle Citizens Assembly (TCA) of Grand Bonny Kingdom. Their release, issued under the title “That We May Preserve the Sanctity of Our Time-Honoured Unique Traditional Institution,” seeks to clarify their position regarding the recent formalisation of chieftaincy (Alawari) titles across Finima’s traditional family units.

At the heart of the statement is a critique of the TCA’s narrative, which the Wari-Seniapu claim has been shaped by subservience to the Amanyanabo-in-Council. They argue that the TCA has failed to live up to its constitutional and traditional responsibilities, having lost credibility and influence among the wider Ibani community. According to them, this failure is manifest in the TCA’s silence in the face of numerous anomalies and deviations from traditional norms within the Kingdom.

They allege that the TCA has become little more than a mouthpiece for the kingdom’s power brokers, providing justification for decisions made by the Amanyanabo-in-Council rather than representing the true interests of the people. The Wari-Seniapu refer to the abandonment of the TCA by prominent figures such as the late Amaopusenibo Aseme Frazer Dublin-Green, who reportedly distanced himself due to the assembly’s perceived failure to meet its objectives.

The statement commends the swift and intelligent responses of Finima’s Asawo and Ogbobiri-Asawo to the initial communique issued by the Bonny Kingdom Ogbobiri-Asawo and the Bonny Youth Federation. These rebuttals are described as both articulate and necessary and indicative of a conscious effort to educate the youth of Finima on their cultural and historical identity.

Regarding the formalisation of the chieftaincy status of Finima’s family units, which took place on 25th and 26th April 2025, the Wari-Seniapu insist the process is deeply rooted in historical precedent. They cite numerous examples within Bonny Kingdom’s history, including the 1942 declaration of independence by a faction of the Manilla Pepple House, noting that these events occurred without similar backlash. The reaction to the Finima initiative, they argue, reveals a short-sighted and narrow understanding of the Kingdom’s historical dynamics.

They further explain that Bonny Kingdom is a confederation of semi-autonomous communities and chieftaincy houses, each with sovereignty over its own lands and institutions. The monarch serves primarily a ceremonial role. Finima, they argue, entered into this union as a matter of convenience, not subordination, and its rights and distinctiveness must be respected.

The Wari-Seniapu raise legal concerns about attempts to redefine Bonny as a singular “Kingdom Community,” particularly in the context of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). They point out that Finima is recognised by law and judicial pronouncements as a host community entitled to direct benefits from International Oil Companies (IOCs). According to them, efforts to collapse Finima’s identity within a larger kingdom narrative are deliberate attempts to divert these resources unfairly.

An important section of the release is devoted to correcting the “erroneous” characterisation of the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House as being factionalised. They clarify that no such division existed prior to the installation and coronation of HRH Aseme Alabo Engr. (Dr) Dagogo Lambert Brown as Chief and Head of the House. It was only after this event, they allege, that the Amanyanabo-in-Council sought to create a rival leadership by installing Evans Brown as a parallel chief in Bonny town.

This move is labelled by the Wari-Seniapu as “abominable” and contrary to Ibani customs and traditions. They express disappointment that the TCA did not act to halt or condemn this alleged breach of protocol, calling it a missed opportunity for the Assembly to fulfil its advisory role.

They argue that the phrase “faction of Buoye Omuso Brown Major House” is a political construct aimed at justifying continued control over Finima and its resources by the central Bonny traditional leadership. In their words, “the faction… only ends with them in Perekule Palace at Okoloama and not in Finima.”

The Wari-Seniapu also raise alarm over what they describe as a centralised oligarchy of chiefs and traditional heads within the kingdom. They allege that many of these leaders have abandoned the governance of their individual houses in favour of consolidating power through a central council, from which they attempt to control other communities such as Finima, Kurama, Deghma, Oguede, Kalaibiama, and the Jumbo Major House.

Nevertheless, the statement strikes a tone of resilience and readiness. The leadership of the Buoye Omuso Brown Group of Houses, the Wari-Seniapu state, is fully aware of these manoeuvres and has the capability to resist them effectively. They express appreciation for the more balanced approach taken by the Okoloama Ikpangi, whose publication called for both sides to be heard without being judgemental.

In closing, the Wari-Seniapu extend an olive branch to members of the TCA who have opted to reach out for genuine dialogue rather than propagate division. They reaffirm Finima’s commitment to preserving its cultural integrity, asserting that political expediency will not be allowed to undermine its identity.

The release concludes with solemn blessings and affirmations in Ibani, encapsulating the spiritual and cultural depth of their message.

Signed by the undersigned Wari-Seniapu of the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House of Finima:

  1. Wari-Senibo Owuna Fenibo Esq.
    Owupele Chieftaincy House of Finima
  2. Wari-Senibo Sonny Jack Brown
    Abobo Chieftaincy House of Finima
  3. Wari-Senibo Henry Loving Brown
    Abobo Chieftaincy House of Finima
  4. Wari-Senibo Igbiwari Prince Brown
    Owupele Chieftaincy House of Finima
  5. Wari-Senibo Young Christopher Brown
    Goni Chieftaincy House of Finima
  6. Wari-Senibo Josiah Sonye Brown
    Owari Chieftaincy House of Finima
  7. Wari-Senibo Adaigbi Gabriel Brown
    Papanye Chieftaincy House of Finima
  8. Wari-Senibo Ernest Doughbo Brown
    Papanye Chieftaincy House of Finima
  9. Wari-Senibo John O. Brown
    Owari Chieftaincy House of Finima
  10. Wari-Senibo Philip Samuel Brown
    Atamunotorudiari (Dupoyo) Chieftaincy House of Finima
  11. Wari-Senibo Dr. Ibianga Philip Brown
    Atamunotorudiari (Dupuyo) Chieftaincy House of Finima

Finima Tamuno bara imim.
Ori Obu se wapiri gbamsobiem.
Pighi wamina ironapu bara bie wa duapamabo samangba.
Akimu besa besa la. Amen.

PRESS RELEASE BY CONCERNED WARI-SENIAPU-BOBHDOWNLOAD

the court affirms the nogicd acts and pias recognition of host communities

Finima as Host Community – The court affirms the NOGICD Act’s and PIA’s recognition

Finima as Host Community. The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday 15 September 2023, has ruled that the community where an oil and gas company operates has the right to host such activities and should be engaged in that regard by the company conducting such operations.
In accordance with the Community Content Guidelines of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the Buoye Omuso (Brown) Founding Royal Major House of Finima (Founders of Finima, and owners of all lands in Finima) and Finima community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State filed a lawsuit before the court. The lawsuit demanded recognition as the host community of the Nigeria LNG Limited.

The plaintiffs had on 15th August 2022, filed the suit through their Counsel, Prof Mike Ozekhome,SAN, for themselves and on behalf of the People of Finima Community of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, suing four defendants, namely, the Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Nigeria LNG Limited and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

The court in its judgement held,agreeing with Ozekhome who led a team of lawyers comprising of Benson Igbanoi, Esq, Mrs Amauche Onyedum, amongst others, that, there exists a binding lease agreement between the NNPC, the NLNG Ltd and the FINIMA community; and that the community was entitled to compensation for breach of the said lease agreement.

They also complained about the Defendants’ failure to provide adequate relocation arrangements for affected members of the community which resulted in the breach of the said lease agreement and the NCDMB community guidelines.

The court also held that the plaintiffs have the locus to institute the suit in a representative capacity for the FINIMA community,as they testified and provided in court, a copy of the resolution wherein the entire community agreed to that effect.

They also, most notably, tendered an earlier judgement in rem delivered by Hon. Justice Inko-Tariah, sitting at the High Court of Rivers state, in suit no: PHC/174/72, wherein the trial Judge had declared that “all land situates and lying between FINIMA and Bonny belong to the FINIMA community represented by the Plaintiffs”.

In his decision in the case No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1419/2022, Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled in favour of the plaintiffs, the Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House of Finima.
Respondents in the suit include Nigeria LNG Limited, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
The plaintiffs had asked the court, among other things, to declare Finima as the host community of NLNG rather than Bonny Kingdom, just as the company had recognised Ogbum-nu-Abali community and Amadi-Ama community as joint host communities of its Corporate Head Office in Port Harcourt rather than Rebisi Kingdom or Okrika kingdom.

The plaintiffs, who contended in the abovementioned complaint that they are the founders and proprietors of the lands in Finima, sought and received all of the reliefs granted, represented by Amauche Onyedum, a Principal Counsel in Mike Ozekhome’s Chambers.
Some of the reliefs include, “A declaration that the Plaintiffs, who sued in a representative capacity for themselves and on behalf of the Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House of Finima, (founders of Finima, and owners of all lands in Finima) and Finima Community in Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers State, is the host community housing the NLNG Plant and other NLNG facilities, referred to in the 2nd Defendant’s

“A declaration that the defendants’ refusal, neglect, and failure to ensure compliance with Sections 25, 26, 27, and 28(2) of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, and Guidelines 1.0 to 7.0 of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board – Community Content Guidelines (NCDMB-CCG), 2017, as they apply to the Plaintiffs’ land in their community before or after the Defendants’ conduct is illegal, wrongful, unconscionable, and unlawful.”

An order of perpetual injunction prohibiting the defendants from performing any additional works or operations on the site of the NLNG Plant in Finima Community until they have complied fully with the terms and conditions agreed upon by the plaintiffs and the third defendant, the provisions of the NOGICD Act 2010, and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board
The management of Nigeria LNG Limited responded to the court ruling by stating that the company’s solicitors were reviewing the ruling and would respond as soon as it was appropriate.

The defendants must execute a leasing agreement between the plaintiffs and the NLNG or any other pertinent party within thirty days of the ruling, according to Hon. Justice Okorowo. The defendants were given one hundred billion naira in general damages by the judge for failing to acknowledge the plaintiffs as their host community.

The business remains committed on guaranteeing and maintaining a cordial relationship with its host community as a global gas firm, according to NLNG General Manager of External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mr. Andy Odeh, in a statement.
“Nigeria LNG Limited is aware of a decision made by the Federal High Court in Abuja on a case filed by the Buoye Omuso Brown House of Finima against the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPCL, NLNG, and NCDMB, asking the court to interpret issues pertaining to host communities and the Petroleum Industry Act.

The company via Andy Udey further reiterated, “NLNG wishes to state that its lawyers are studying the decision and will react at the appropriate time.
“Nigeria LNG remains focused on ensuring cordial relationship with its host communities and remains committed to sustainable community development, peace in its areas of operation as it continues to be a to globally competitive LNG company helping to build a better Nigeria.”

The Honorable court, consequently, granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs,to wit:

  • A DECLARATION that the Plaintiffs who sued in a representative capacity for themselves and on behalf of the Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House of Finima, (Founders of Finima, and owners of all lands in Finima) and Finima Community in Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers State, is the host community housing the NLNG Plant and other NLNG facilities, referred to in the 2ndDefendant’s letter dated 3rd March, 1978, with reference No: GPD.001/S.1/21 50230/225, same being their ancestral homelands.
  • A DECLARATION that the refusal, failure and/or neglect by the Defendants, their representatives, aides, workers, agents, privies, and servants, to enter into a lease agreement with the Plaintiffs, and ensure compliance with the terms agreed upon by the 2ndDefendant and NCDMB Community guidelines constitutes a deprivation of the rights of the Plaintiffs as host community and a breach of the terms so agreed upon.
  • A DECLARATION that the Defendants ought not to have commenced any form of business in the Plaintiffs community without due, total and adequate compensation to and relocation of the Plaintiffs to a decent settlement which shall be in compliance with the terms duly entered into by the 2ndDefendant; and in any case not below the standards of what the Plaintiffs had enjoyed before the coming of the Defendants to their ancestral lands.
  • A DECLARATION that the Defendants’ non-compliance with the required terms, conditions and guidelines of extant laws, has had direct consequential adverse effect on the Plaintiffs, their livestock, buildings, tombs, totems, residential homes, streams, cash crops, minerals, life, means of livelihood and dignity of the human person.
  • A DECLARATION that the dealings on the said lands and alleged compensations clandestinely and surreptitiously paid to any person or persons not being the representatives of the Buoye Omuso(Brown) Major House and members of Finima Community are illegal, wrongful, unlawful, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
  • A DECLARATION that the acts of the Defendants, whether by themselves, their workers, representatives, privies, servants, agents, e.t.c, in demolishing all, or any part of the structures, built and erected by the Plaintiffs in Finima community, including farmlands, economic trees, livestock, totems, relies, etc, and consfication of ancestral lands in Finima Community contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board – Community Content Guidelines (NCDMB-CCG), 2017, are therefore illegal, wrongful unlawful, unconscionable, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
  • A DECLARATION that it is, illegal, wrongful, unconscionable and unlawful for the Defendants to refuse, neglect and fail to ensure due compliance with the provisions of Sections 25, 26, 27, and 28(2) of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, and Guidelines 1.0 to 7.0 of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board – Community Content Guidelines (NCDMB-CCG), 2017, as they affect the Plaintiffs’ land in their community before or after the commencement of work, or soon after the coming into effect of the instant Act and guidelines by the 3rd Defendant.
  • AN ORDER directing the Defendants to effect a lease agreement between the Plaintiffs and the NLNG and or any other interested or relevant party within 30 clear days from the date judgment is delivered in favor of the Plaintiffs in this suit.
  • AN ORDER directing the Defendants to accord and award the Plaintiffs directly, their entitlements, privileges and benefits which have accrued and accruable to the Plaintiffs as host community that bear the brunt of the Defendants’ operations.
  • AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Defendants, whether by themselves, their representatives, workers, servants, agents and/or privies howsoever called, from carrying out further works or operations on the site of the NLNG Plant in Finima Community until due and total compliance with the terms and conditions agreed upon by the Plaintiffs with the 3rdDefendant, the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board – Community Content Guidelines (NCDMB-CCG), 2017, as well as other extant regulatory requirements.

finima development masterplan workshop

Finima Development Master Plan Workshop – Finima is inundated by development experts. 21/22 July 2023

Finima Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State will be receiving development experts as it announces its development masterplan, in what appears to be a blatant show of ambitious intentionality with its growth trajectory.
Dr. Alabo George-Kelly, the commissioner for works in Rivers State, Yibo Koko, the director general of the Rivers State Tourism Management Board, Professor Eucharia Nwaichi, Randolph Brown, a former member of the House of Representatives, and Jonathan Tobin, a former executive director of the Bank of Industry, are some of these experts.

A six-person committee was established at the behest of the Amadabo-In Council to help organise a workshop to start the process of creating the Finima Community Development Masterplan. In essence, the masterplan is being created in order to be ready for the advantages that Host Communities would get under the Petroleum Industry Act. Additionally, the masterplan is being developed so that the Finima Community can handle its interactions with the various levels of government, as well as with international oil and gas and associated corporations that operate on its property, in terms of development.

In light of this, the workshop was held on July 21 and 22, 2003, in the Finima Town Hall. The topics of the papers presented by the speakers, who came from a variety of professional backgrounds, included health, the environment, social services, security, GIS, relocation, exposure to hydrocarbons, engagements, politics, our lands and resources/investment opportunities, the need for infrastructure, education (human capacity development), tourism, and others. Questions were raised, clarifications were offered, and suggestions for future encounters were made during the meetings. Additionally, there were presentations on what components of the development plan should be included from the community/house’s sub-structures (Asawo, Ogbo-biri Ere Ogbo-Biri Asawo, Eremapu, FYC, Welfare Committee, etc.). These contributions are anticipated to be combined, tested, and fixed into the primary masterplan.

Eugene Abels, Nnamdi Mbata, Dr. Robinson Sibe, Dr. Abarasi Abbey-Hart, Dr. Magdalene Iheme, and Ross Alabo-George are among the other guests listed on the invitation.
The “Finima Community Development Master Plan Workshop” is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, July 21 and 22, 2023, in the Town Hall in Finima Town, Bonny Island, with the topic “Towards An Urbanised Finima Community.”

he host of the event and Amadabo of Finima, Aseme-Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown, Kongo XVII was upbeat about the positives expected from the event, noting that the development of the community is associated with its prosperity, stressing that it is important to work with relevant stakeholders to drive the process.

Several international companies that deal with gas and crude oil, as well as the Finima Nature Park, are located in Finima, which is located at the mouth of the Bonny Channel at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The federal government’s projected Bonny Deep Seaport is also anticipated to be located there.

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