THE Ogbia Kingdom in Bayelsa state may not be as big and the great ancient empires headed by an emperor, but it is by no means an important kingdom led by the Obanohban who sits on the traditional stool of the kingdom. The kingdom had transited through decades of geo-political wilderness. Initially it was part of Eastern Nigeria, then became part of Rivers State and much later Bayelsa State.
The kingdom consists of about 45 villages fused into four groups namely: Abureni, Anyama, Emeyal and Oloibiri.
Oloibiri it is recalled is the host community of the first oil rig in the country with the discovery of crude oil there in 1956. However, in spite of this contribution to Nigeria’s economy, indigenes of the community can’t be said to be major beneficiaries of their God-given wealth.
Today it is recognised as a kingdom that has produced men of ‘timber and calibre.’ House of Representatives members, senators, a deputy governor, the first civilian and second republic governor of old Rivers State, Dr Melford Okilo and former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan are the products of the kingdom.
The Obanohban stool
The Obanohban stool was the idea of Mr. George Amangala, who eventually was elected the first Obanohban. He also mooted the idea of the formation of the Ogbia brotherhood to foster unity and peaceful co-existence among the 45 villages.
Sequel to the vacuum created after the death of the then acting Obanohban, Chief Justice Emmanuel Igoniwari, many prominent Ogbia men jostled to occupy the revered stool followed by series of litigations.
The highest political body in Ogbia Kingdom, the Ogbia Brotherhood swung into action and persuaded all aggrieved parties to withdraw all court cases for stakeholders to broker settlement out of court, which the aggrieved parties embraced with no condition attached.
The withdrawal led to the emergence of three candidates, Chief Aresuo, Chief Sunday Etor and Chief Dumaro Owaba. Both Aresuo and Etor later stepped down leading to the emergence of Owaba through a voice vote.
The stool, it was learnt is now rotational between the four clans comprising Kolo Creek, Oloibiri, Ayama and Abureni. However, the new Obanohban, Dumaro Owaba is from the Oloibiri clan, while the next Obanohban would come from Kolo Creek clan.
For ovr 25 years there was a stalemate until the recent coronation of the new Obanohban.
Speaking at the coronation ceremony former president Jonathan urged Ogbia people to cherish the rebirth that the stool has brought to the kingdom and enjoined them to embrace unity, love and brotherliness which must be upheld and respected far above political party affiliations.
“Never should Ogbia people allow disunity to break their cohesion, particularly sequel to the new dawn that the new Obanohban has brought to fill the vacuum created 25 years ago when Ogbia had no spiritual leader.
“To this end, Ogbia people and the larger kingdoms in Bayelsa should remain united, because without unity, love for one another, the Nigerian State would not remember the Ogbia people and Bayelsa State,” Jonathan said.
Also speaking on the occasion, Bayelsa State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson lauded the unity of the Ogbia people. According to him this has accounted for the successes they have made in the political space in Nigeria.
He pointed out that the Obanohban stool is the nucleus of the Ogbia unity, just as he commended the kingdom for the delivery of block votes during elections that ushered him to the seat of power as governor for a second term in office.
The governor also expressed delight that the private refinery that is over 60 percent completed would commence operation in 2018, even as he called on other leaders of other communities in the state to emulate the Ogbia unity and assured that his government would continue to support traditional rulers because they are agents of change in society.
A prominent member of the community and an industrialist, who is the Group President of Azikel Group of Companies Dr, Azibapu Eruani said the Obanohban stool is revered, respected and cherished because of the multiplier benefits that it brings to Ogbia Kingdom.
Accordingly, he noted that owing to the existence of the Obanohban-in-council and the Ogbia Brotherhood, with the slogan “Each for all and All for Each” the kingdom has reached a watershed.
Eruani lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the refinery license, adding that it was an opportunity for the Ijaw people to also become stakeholders and players in the oil and gas sector.
Indigenes of the community also spoke with Sunday Tribune on the long wait for the new Obanohban. Mr Golden Jeremiah, who hails from Ayama clan said when the stool was vacant, unity was far-fetched in Ogbia Kindom, stressing that for the first time Ogbia Kingdom witnessed a mammoth crowd during the coronation of a new Obanohban, as former President Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, other Ogbia sons and daughters at the federal, state and local government level, as well as members of the national and state assembly, including those in Diaspora graced the occasion.
“Events have been held in Ogbia, but none could gather prominent sons and daughters of Ogbia to sit together in harmony and unity for one common purpose, but the Obanohban stool did, as it deferred political party affinity and brought unity of purpose that was elusive back to Ogbia land,” he said.
Another respondent, Mr George Turner, of Kolo Creek said the event was a watershed in the history of Ogbia people because the Obanohban remains the symbol of unity for every Ogbia son and daughter. He pointed out that the past 25 years before the emergence of a new Obanohban was characterised by mudslinging and internal wrangling.
Mr Johnny Emmanuel, from Abureni clan also said that the long lost unity and peace has returned to Ogbia Kingdom sequel to the successful coronation of the new Obanohban.
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