The Rivers Community rejects the Kalabari label, insists on a different identity – Nigeria – The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

The people of Tombia in the state of the Local Council of Ríos de Degema has vehemently rejected the claims of being part of Kalabari’s ethnic nationality.

At a press conference in Port Harcourt, community leaders emphasized their distinctive identity and asked Governor Siminalayi Fubara to intervene in the matter.

According to Chief Peniel Omubo-Idonibo, vice president of the Tombia Chiefs Council, the community has coexisted peacefully with the Kalabari people for decades, after having emigrated from Ekpetiama-Be-Tombia in the current state of Bayelsa. However, they have never been subordinated to the Kalabari kingdom.

The community disagreed with Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, the newly installed Amanyanabo of the Elem-Kalabari kingdom, who allegedly said that some communities in the kingdom of Tombia, particularly those that surround the area of ​​the Cawthorne channel, belong to the Kalabari people.

Omubo-Idonibo listed the affected communities, including Igboboko, Elecbe-AA and Mbikiri-Aame, among others. He suspected that Asari-Dokubo reasons could be driven by the rich mineral resources in the area.

The community cited the relevant judicial judgments, such as PHC/1842/2001, delivered on November 12, 2018 by the judge in Ogbuji of the Superior Court of the State of Rivers, in which he ruled that where the Cawthorne 1 Canal area is located It is owned by Tombia Kingdom. They also referred to DHC/5/2011, among the late King Theophilus Princewill versus Tombia Kingdom and SPDC, delivered by Judge So Benson.

He said: “The ultimate goal of this press conference is for peace, unity and brotherhood to reign in the kingdoms of Tombia and Kalabari. Therefore, we are appealing once again to the King of Elem-Kalabari to use their newly acquired position to promote peace, unity and brotherhood as their predecessors did for all of us. Tombia are friends with Kalabari and can never be his enemies, but that the truth is told, and let us grant that mutual respect.

“Therefore, we are asking the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to kindly call to order Alhaji Asari-Dokubo, whom he recently recognized as the king of Elem-Kalabari, not to play with the people of the Kingdom of the Tibia to attach the communities and settlements of the kingdom of Tombia to the kingdom of Kalabari. “

The people of Tombia urged Governor Fubara to call Asari-Dokubo to order, warning that their actions could interrupt the long peaceful relationships between the two kingdoms. They also appealed to the governor to recognize the Tombia stool, as he has done for other feces in the area.