-Iliyasu Gadu
Although technically the ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom is no more an island as you can reach it by the new Bonny-Bodo link road, I still prefer to travel to the island through the creeks.
One can only truly appreciate the uniqueness of this ancient city state by a boat journey. It is through this means that one can appreciate and salute the tenacity and ingenuity of man against the elements and taming it.
And also for me I love the feel of the sea breeze and the splash of the water as the boat courses through it. And then of course to see and hear fellow passengers discussing as journey wears on.
What is Bonny Kingdom?
Grand Bonny Kingdom is the historic settlement of the Ibani sub group of the Izions. Along with the Wakirike, Kalahari, Andoni, and Opobo/Nkoro, they collectively constitute the eastern Ijaw group.
Bonny’s history is rich and illustrious. It was one of the first settlements in modern Nigeria to come into contact with the outside world stretching back to the 1400s. From that period Bonny has played host to a succession of European adventurers including the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English.
The Zenith of Bonny’s contact with the outside world was the period from the eighteenth to nineteenth century when it was the scene of trade in commodities like palm oil and in slaves. Bonny was one of the rich, important coastal city states in the Niger Delta area and in this wise, played a great role in the development of what is modern Nigeria.
One of the great figures to emerge out of Bonny was King Jaja. He was born in Amaigbo in what is today the Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo state in the Nkwerre area.
He was brought to Bonny as a slave and through his ingenuity and tenacity he ended up becoming one of the most prominent traders in Bonny Kingdom. But differences between him and some of his rivals as well as the merchants of the Royal Niger trading company necessitated his having to flee with his followers from Bonny to establish the settlement of Opobo in the Andoni area.
Bonny has to this day continued to play its unique role in Nigeria’s history. It is the sight of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG ) Plant where natural gas is processed and exported abroad. Before the NLNG there was the Bonny Crude Oil Terminal owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company, a huge tank farm where at one period about half of the total crude oil to be exported out of Nigeria was stored. ExxonMobil the American oil major also has a terminal here for the export of condensate located adjacent to the huge NLNG Plant.
Approach Bonny through the creeks, the first settlement of note one comes across is Dawes island. This strategic island is situated on the border between Okrika and Bonny. It is strategic because it is sort of a junction between Okrika, Bonny and Kalahari. This much came to the fore during Nigeria’s civil war. The capture of Dawes Island by the Brigadier-General Benjamin Maja Adekunle led third Marine Commando enabled the federal forces of Nigeria to execute one of the greatest amphibious landings in African warfare. It was a feat that knocked out the Biafran forces and secured a bridge head for the federal forces to protect the oil rich Niger Delta areas.
From Dawes Island as one continues the sea ward journey to Bonny, one comes across the fishing settlement of Dikibotorusinka, the last Okrika settlement that marks the border with Bonny.
The first Bonny settlement one comes across after Okrika is Kalaibiama. This is the Bonny settlement of the Tolofaris, and the Pollyns.
Next on the approach to Bonny is the settlement of Peterside. Peterside is the sight of one of the oldest churches to be built in Nigeria which is a testimony to the fact that the people of this settlement had been in contact with the outside world for as far one could imagine. The church still stands in all its glory and one can see sight it as the boat passes by.
Peterside is also the home of the Wilcoxes. I am told that anybody answering the surname Wilcox must have originated from Peterside. Even those from Opobo.
One of the most prominent personalities from Peterside was Chief Harold Dappa Biriye, a statesman who played a great part in the creation of Rivers State and also in Nigeria generally.
It is from Peterside that the boat swings to make the crossing across the Bonny river towards Bonny. As frequent boat travellers have come to know, this is probably the most dangerous part of the journey. At from around 5pm when the sea is in full tide the waves become high and the water becomes choppy. It is always hair raising experience for boat travellers and many boats have capsized drowning their passengers. I was once almost a victim. Wanting to be in Port Harcourt unfailingly for an event that was to take place early the following day I went to the coal beach in Bonny and hired a boat. Along with me on the boat were two prominent Bonny sons. The boat was the only one that agreed to make the journey to Port Harcourt that evening as the others were not willing to risk the river crossing at that time. So off we went after negotiations.
It was while we had set on our journey that we notice it was a single engined boat. That meant that should the engine go off in the dangerous conditions, we will likely all drown. And sure enough as the boat started encountering the we found ourselves being swayed from side to side violently. It was as much as we could do to hold fast to the wooden seats on the boat to keep from being thrown overboard by the violent rocking of the boat from the high waves. One of the prominent Bonny sons on the boat, a highly respected medical Doctor who was involved in a previous boat accident and nearly drowned on that occasion was silent in prayers. As a Muslim I joined because we were near death and if we were to join our maker it will be appropriate to meet him in supplication.
How we survived it all on that evening of danger across the Bonny river was a miracle for we all thanked God.
But back to the present, if one makes the Bonny river crossing from Peterside, the grand majesty of Bonny is laid out.
Actually the original name for Bonny was Okolo-Ama. It was named so due to the presence of a kind of bird which looks similar to the seagulls. The birds made Bonny their habitat such that the island was named after them. The name Bonny is an adaptation of “Ibani” which the White man could men, the English in particular could not pronounce properly. And because they were more familiar with the name “Bonny” from the English language. The term “Ibani” which refers to the Ijaw dialect spoken by the people of the island distinguishes them from to their neighbours the Wakirike and Kalahari.
From the coal beach one begins to move into the town. About a kilometre to the left on the main road to town a road leads you to palace of the King or Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom. Nowadays the throne is occupied by His Majesty Amanyanabo William Dappa Pepple the 3rd Perekule the Eleventh. He occupies a throne that had been occupied by his illustrious forebears for centuries. Just before you the palace is the famous Ikuba square which is the main event centre for all things traditional in Bonny. It has been so for ages.
Grand Bonny Kingdom is made up of about 32 main family houses and a further number of houses under them. Such houses like Jumbo, Hart, Pepple, Brown, Banigo, LongJohn, Green etc.
The unique thing about Bonny is a central point for all the family houses. The family houses have their own settlements outside of Bonny town. For instance, Greens-Iwoama island is the settlement for people from Green family house. And Banigo which is next nearby to Greens-Iwoama is the ancestral community of the Banigo house. Similarly, Abalamabie is for the LongJohn group of families.
But that is not to say that they all don’t have a stake in Bonny town. Bonny is a centre for all people of “Ibani descent”.
Of course the only prominent exception to this is the setllement ii f Finima. The site of the huge NLNG Plant is where the original Finima settlement used to be. Finima is the only prominent setllement which is situated on Bonny island. It is the home of the Brown and Attoni family houses. In Ibani language Brown is known as Boye-Omuso and is the largest family house in Finima. Some of the prominent personalities to come from Finima are ace Nigeria Airways pilot Captain Allwell Brown, ace newscaster and former General Manager External Affairs NLNG Siene Allwell Brown, Chief Idamiebi Brown etc.
Bonny island is a great and beautiful place of culture, unique fauna and Flora. In Bonny one finds a blend of tradition and modernity which goes to make the island and it’s people unique in Rivers State and Nigeria.
Bonny has produced for Nigeria, great men off distinction. Personalities like Chief Osuobonye LongJohn great Surgeon and former Chairman if NLNG board and Surgeon, Chief Dr Banigo, Chief Ibiama, Dr TAT Allison, Chief Abbey Hart, etc.
