Marcelini:
Adulterated and Ijawnized Opobo history. Senibo is entitled to his distortions, while Ndiigbo are entitled to rejecting them.

#Simple

AjiereTuwo:

Marcelini:


E PAIN AM

AjiereTuwo:

Your mother must be so proud

Marcelini:


Tell Senibo "Ogogolo" to go and write more trash for his Ijaw audience.

There are tons of unbiased non distorted Bonny and Opobo history written in pages of colonial documents by the colonials, gotten first hand from innocent non politicized early Bonny and Opobo people, and written down by colonial masters with no distortions whatsoever.

If Ndiigbo want to read the history of Opobo and Bonny, we know where to get them. Tell Ogogolo to spend his time on more useful ventures.

Eastfield1:

this long story is unnecessary.
Opobo is our Son's property n that is Unnegotiable
when d tym comes what Russia did to Ukraine for Crimea will be a minor Case To any Ijaw that will lay claim to Opobo

AjiereTuwo:

Lol, wetin u talk now does even mk sense to you, go and threaten fulani people first

AjiereTuwo:

This article is for the Ibani-apu(okoloama and Opubo ama) so if you are not from these communities. Gerara here

Marcelini:


So take it to your village square. Why did you bring it here?

AjiereTuwo:

Your mother must be so proud

Eastfield1:

this long story is unnecessary.
Opobo is our Son's property n that is Unnegotiable
when d tym comes what Russia did to Ukraine for Crimea will be a minor Case To any Ijaw that will lay claim to Opobo

1shortblackboy:
i used to get angry at these kind of igbo people now i just pity them. see what a normal human being wrote.............. they're not called chest beaters for nothing o

AjiereTuwo:
IBANI HISTORY OF GIGI BOATS AND REGATTAS

by Senibo Abinye Morgan Ogolo

The Ibani people of Bonny and Opobo of the Ijaw tribe have always been coastal dwellers, even prior to the founding of Okoloama (Bonny) in the 13th or 14th century. In fact the families of these Ijaw migrants and founders of the would be powerful city states navigated by canoes through the creeks and seas of the Niger Delta up to the Imo River linings in search of a peaceful abode until they arrived Bonny well before the 15th century.
The tradition of Gigi and Regatta via war canoe is held by a school of thought to be naturally thought out by the ancestors of the West African coastline dwellers through inventive ingenuity to serve commercial and military purposes based on our peculiar ecosystem, which the Ibani people are key players, bearing on mind this thought considers the prehistoric era. Notably is another school of thought of Ibani scholars, which suggests that the major influences of different European pre-historic stages affected Ibani sizes of our dugout canoes, the flamboyancies entrenched in the fleets etc.
These influences ranges from the era that can be dated to between 1450 and 1550, which made the Rio Real an important trading river for the Portuguese empire ( called by the Ibani people Potokiri apu). During this Period was the first crowned Bonny King Asimini. Again the Dutch influences of early and Mid 17th century era, and finally the very dominant trade influence of English era that can be dated from the end of 17th century into the 20th century, of which Bonny and afterwards Opobo had expanded so vast in trade and culture.
A well known Ibani chronological tradition suggests that Ada Biriye of Peterside Bonny(whose descendants are in Opobo now) by the encouragement of King Asimini, ferried in flotillas of Gig, well decorated to Azuogu Ndoki in a bid to lure back Princess Edemini Kambasa the daughter of the King around 1449. This tradition suggests strongly that the Ibani people paddling heavy canoes were influenced by the portugese, who themselves were great sailors, row mates and masters.
However by imperative traditions; it is suggestive that the Gig boat and Regatta in Ibani land took a dramatic turn during the reign of King Perekule (called Pepple) or captain Pepple 1704-1754; of which during the English vast influence on trade and aculturization strategies of gaining British Colonies all over the world, the British influenced the Ibani people greatly. On the visit of an English explorer James Barbot into Bonny 1699; he was met with an already influential King Perekule, who declared himself to the European as a captain of his own war canoes in his own right. At that time, Captain Boileau, Alderman Bougsty, Lord Willyby, Duke of Monmouth and Drunken Henry were already good friends of Captain Pepple (Perekule) in nurturing the European cultures to his people. By 1740 when Perekule instituted the first princely Houses in a rather English Royal Style with flags, cannons and canoe regattas etc. it was quite welcomed by the Ibani people then. Apparently canoe regatta and heavy paddling took a dramatic turn from small boats of 4 to 5 feets long paddling, to a huge economic modeled canoe, long and heavy burrow paddled by seemingly gladiators ( called Aru asawo) around the era of 1700. An example of this kind of paddle can be seen in Queens town Opobo today by the tomb of an Opobo nobleman called Ada Aritom, who fought the Bonny civil war of the Annie Pepples and Manilla Pepples 1869, and imagine how big those canoes would had been.
By the memoir of Captain Crow 1792, a vivid description of our Ibani war Canoe ceremonial gigi was made:
“Bonny has long been celebrated for the size and construction of her canoes, and those of the King deserve notice. They are formed out of a single log of the capot, a species of cotton tree, which attains so enormous a size, that it is said that one was seen at Akim, which ten men could scarcely grasp. The canoes in general use, have about fifteen paddles on a side; but those of the king, which are superior vessels of the sort, carry besides the rowers, as many as a hundred and fifty warriors, well furnished with small arms” .
Therefore evidently, the Nwaotam regatta of every 31st of December in Opobo is just a natural adoption of who we really are; and the displays during installations of the Amayanabo or war canoe house chiefs.
Captain Crow also gave a clear description of Ibani war Canoe Regatta 1792:
“As at Bonny guns are mounted in the bows of their war canoes, which are full of armed warriors; and when they start off, with Bangees (likely the seven ekere and Agaama) or drum beating, and colours flying, they present the appearance of an armament with which it would be no child’s work to cope”( cit.3p.276)
Imperatively therefore, from the accounts of captain crow, regattas and war canoes as exciting as it might appear, have always not been a child’s play at all. It very well depict the gallant valor a chieftain who most times sits or stands in the war canoe possesses, his economic power, material and military condor. Canoe regatta and war canoes have always been a play for men of valor and prowess. Apparently by 1792 Bonny during the reign of King Opubo, it had become a traditional norm and prerequisite to becoming a country chief or owning a co-perative canoe Household. Such chieftain must gear up a war canoe if he is to bear the ama alabo status, which normally will escort flotillas of Gigs to the hinterlands. By these canoes our numerous wars were fought in Bonny and out of Bonny. Even at Opobo the expeditions on the Ibibios and Anangs of Akwas were carried out by King Jaja and his chiefs via fully armed Ibani type war canoes.
The English tradition of trade very well influenced this art greatly; as war canoe houses formation were linked not only to trade and domain (polo or Biri) as in European co-peratives or agency. For instance the major agent of king Jaja was Alex miller Bros. Company. The war canoe House also owned their own logo or seal of authority which was engraved on the hoisted flag of such House. This also by British style was to show power of attorney, autonomy and finally a regal display of identification. Apart from these already mentioned British influence on the Ibani Gigis and war canoes( Omu aru),each of them bore a name and like English Royal Boats are Personified. For instance, the King Opubo Annie Pepple of Bonny personal war canoe Boat ‘QUEENI’ , that was launched for King Opubo by his father King Perekule (Pepple) by 1740 back in Bonny, was handed over to Ada Madu, to Ada Alali, to Ada Iloli, then to Ada Juwo Juwo (Jaja); while King Jajas’ Personal war canoe Boat is ‘Asu Jecki’(Jajas’ Horse) 1869. Chief Wogu Dappa war canoe Boat a crescendo of Prince Dappu Pepple of Bonny called ‘OKPANI’; Annie Stewart Pepple or Kiepirima war canoe Boat called ‘OBUKU SIAGHARI’; Chief Obulu( Ogolo) Annie Pepple war canoe Boat called ‘BOA’ or ‘ABOA’; Chief Oko Sunju Minima war canoe Boat called ‘IKASI’; while the personal war canoe Boat of Prince Fredrick Sunday Jaja is Called ‘OBI JECKI’, so on and so forth.
Consequently, civil wars, military and trade expeditions were all embarked on by the use of war canoe Boats of the component unit Houses that make up Opobo Kingdom; in fact it was one seeming statutory military tool to dominate our neighboring communities. The war canoes Presupposes the existence of a war Canoe House, as it became a criteria to launch a war canoe House since from our ancient Bonny. Apparently in Opobo kingdom, having sixty seven war canoe Houses, means ability to marshal out sixty seven war canoe Boats, fully geared with men of war, or otherwise sixty seven flotillas of Ceremonial Gigs at any time of its need; and all of them must be marshaled out in order of traditional statutory position. In the ranks and filing of Ibani war canoe boats in Opobo, the head House (king Jaja), must be first, followed by Ogolo war canoe boat, followed by Kiepirima war canoe boat, followed by Sam Annie Pepple war canoe boat, then Agba Fubara war canoe boat and followed by other main Houses of the kingdom before other sub Houses in order of when they were founded. This also I call Ibani civilization. The Europeans themselves would rather not play with the Ibani aggressive War canoe Boats postures during any trade conflict of interests or trade tensions.
Ceremonies, alapu leisure trips and royal visitations were done by the use of Gig canoes, which we call Gigi and usually decorated in a more flamboyant manner; always accompanied by hailing and chanting women at the sea shore ( otherwise Mingi aka) of that House being displayed with flags and many times shouts ‘OMIE IYE AWO’ adulterated as ‘ORIE IYA AWO’; even recently this culture is gradually eroding away; for what basic reason I cannot say, but it is gone too.
The type of wood used in Ibani land as Opobo in carving these dug out boats matter a lot to our people. The Kuruu wood is a kind of mangrove cotton tree, which natives assume is prone to sink during the Fongu-mini season of the Ibani People. Another wood is the Kpokpoo, which is said by natives to be lighter in weight and cannot sink; this is assumed to be the best wood to carving these roughed bow arsenals called war canoe boats. There are other woods as Akuu said to have the features of Kuruu wood; another is the Sangaa wood said to have the features of Kpokpoo wood and finally the Isii wood, which is said to be the heaviest and hardest of them all.
In paddling these Bow arsenals; sometimes the gladiators ( Asawo) pulls towards the flow of the tide or ocean current, which natives refer in Opobo as ‘IJIRI’; while at other instances they may pull the Bow arsenal against the flow of the tide or ocean current, we refer to as ‘OTUUBURU’.
This discuss will not be exhaustive, if we fail to mention that depending on the drumming or Ibani singing pattern in the war canoe or Gigi; the paddling synchronized timing of all the young sailors in such Bow arsenal is either fast or slow, depending on the pace of the rhythm on board at a time. If the rhythm and paddling pattern is rather fast and hasty…we call it ‘FOOFI’; while if the rhythm and paddling pattern is slow and unperturbed… we call it ‘SAIGHI- GBII’ depending on the beating. The drumming in the war canoe boats proper, must be the ‘SONOMA-EKEREFARI’ (seven wooden gongs) accompanied with the Bangee drum which we call ‘Agaama’, which is one of the big gladiators drum; while the ceremonial Gigi must be the beating of our local music wooden box -Xylophone called ‘NGELENGE’ or ‘EBEERE accompanied with the rhyming jingle of a loud bell (Gboom) to create rhythm and synchrony in the art and act of pulling such canoe.
Suffice it to say there are rich excerpts of our Opobo Ibani cultures we need to be proud of and sustain; and such heritages include our Ibani House system, Loko system, and the war canoe boats culture.

1shortblackboy:
i used to get angry at these kind of igbo people now i just pity them. see what a normal human being wrote.............. they're not called chest beaters for nothing o

Eastfield1:

thanks for ur pity.
but just save it for ur people when it starts.

AjiereTuwo:

What have you done to the fulani dat raped and killed your women, descendants of cowards only mouth una get

Eastfield1:

thanks any way.
like i said before.
i repeat.
Opobo remain part n parcel of Igboland
No single inch of Opobo land are we going to leave for Ijaw nor any Ethnic group
mark my word.
Not Even half inch.

jayrule:


As your name implies

One short black brain

Eastfield1:

thanks for ur pity.
but just save it for ur people when it starts.

1shortblackboy:
when what starts can u start anything....mcheeew

AjiereTuwo:

Be deceiving yourselves, a town dat has an amanyanabo is now an igbo town, how stupid can you be. Go and threaten the amanyanabo of opubo ama, useless gala hawking igbo

Eastfield1:
.

Ok