Second Coronation Anniversary: Amadabo Constitutes Finima Council of Chiefs, Upgrades Family Units

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On the occasion of Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown’s second anniversary as Chief and Head of the Buoye Omuso Brown House and his proclamation as Amadabo of Finima, Kongo XVII has established the Finima Council of Chiefs and increased the Buoye Omuso Council of Wari-Alapu.
On Friday, January 12, 2024, Aseme Alabo Brown made these statements at a celebration marking his second year as Amadabo of Finima, Bonny LGA, Rivers State.

He declared that, in addition to the Attoni and Tobin Minor Houses, the Abobo, Adum, Akpa, Cross, Dupuyo, Eli, Goni, Goro, Iyariari, Sughu, Owupele, Ogbulubim, Owari, and Papanye family units now form the Buoye Omuso Brown House Council of Chiefs.

He proceeded to designate their present Heads as Chiefs of Minor Houses, which will functon when the Attoni and Tobin Houses has legitimate Chiefs. Due to legal disputes, the chieftaincy stools in both houses are contested. At the moment, each Council of Elders is in charge of both.

“As the Amadabo of Finima, I hereby upgrade and formally pronounce these sub-family units as Minor Chieftaincy Houses in the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House of Finima, with their subsisting Heads as Substantive Chiefs and Heads of their respective Houses, having done due consultation with my Council of Warialapu on the impactful contributions of these sub-family units to the growth of the House and Community since over a century ago.”
As a result, the Finima Council of Chiefs will henceforth be made up of all Chiefs and Heads of the Minor Chieftaincy Houses, as declared in Finima. They must submit within 14 days, lists of names of their respective sub-family units (Burusu) to the office of the Amadabo of Finima.”

Noting that it was a misnomer for the Adum House to be abandoned for several years even when it was listed in Appendix B of the Adams Intelligence Report on administration of the Bonny Native Authority 1936 alongside Attoni House as category A Minor Houses, he also declared the upgrade of the Adum sub-family unit as well as her head as a substantive Chief and Head of Adum-Brown Chieftaincy House of Finima.

The ancient Sub-Chieftaincy Stool of Adum House was abandoned, which the Amadabo-in-Council saw as a grave injury that needed to be internally and sustainably revived first. This is because the complete eradication of this verified and documented account of our history would amount to self-inflicted denials and a permanent loss of heritage.

“Appendix B of the Adams Intelligence Report on administration of the Bonny Native Authority 1936” describes Adum and Attoni as Minor Houses in category A to the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House of Finima. These descriptions are striking. It is therefore extremely inaccurate and misleading to say that Adum sub Chieftaincy House is still without a modern Chief.
“Therefore, in accordance with Appendix B of the Adams Intelligence Report on Finima, I hereby reaffirm and pronounce the current Head of Adum (Tamunobere) sub-family unit as Substantive Chief and Head of Adum-Brown Chieftaincy House of Finima, by virtue of the authority vested in me as the Amadabo of Finima, being the Chief and Head of the Buoye Omuso Brown Major House of Finima, having had due consultation with my Council of Warialapu.

In addition to bolstering the leadership spectrum of the House and Community, he said that restructuring the BOBH family structure and Finima Community leadership structure also honours the priceless contributions of the corresponding ancestors and families of the upgraded sub-family units.

Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown has worked tirelessly to alleviate poverty in the community during his two years as Amadabo of Finima in Bonny Kingdom, according to Priye Kabaka-Ehuwa, president of the Finima Women Association.
“Simini famam,” which translates to “poverty is finished in Finima Community,” is what he stated in our local dialect as soon as he assumed office as the Amadabo of Finima. Indeed, if you stroll around Finima, you will notice the changes everywhere.”

It is truly evident, and while I am aware that it takes time to effect change, he progressively improves all facets of his life, including his health and education.

Diepiri Fibereseima, the chairman of the 2nd Anniversary Organising Committee, also spoke during his speech. He shared his excitement for the Amadabo’s reign and how he has overcome the obstacles he has experienced thus far. “I’m glad that everyone here will correct me if I make a mistake, as it was thoroughly discussed during the occasion.” “Many big boys and girls from Finima, both locally in Nigeria, Rivers State, and abroad, have received scholarships from him.”

In the past two years, the Amadabo of Finima has been able to foster youth unity among the numerous Houses that make up Finima and also restore peace in the neighbourhood, according to Linda Martins-Brown, Secretary of the Finima Women Association (FIWA).
“He has been really good for the last two years. We are grateful to God that he has brought peace to our community and that we are living out his dream of having everyone together and having fun in the Brown and Tobin Houses.

“We recently had some physicians visiting from Save-A-Life to provide care for the residents of Finima Community. We have kids all around the country who receive their bursaries annually, and some of our children who were born outside of the nation have pursued master’s degrees.

The highlight of the celebration featured performances by several masquerade groups, special presentations, and words of goodwill from some notable guests. Among those in attendance were visiting traditional rulers and chiefs of the Buoye Omuso Brown House’s numerous sub-houses.

Speaking of traditional rulers and chieftaincy, you might be interested in learning more about the history and significance of such systems. You could explore the Wikipedia article on Chieftaincy for a broader understanding. Given the location of Finima in Nigeria, the page on Traditional Rulers of Nigeria might also shed some light on the cultural context. Finally, considering the mention of masquerade groups, Masquerade offers insights into this vibrant form of cultural expression.