BUOYE OMUSO HOUSE AND ITS TERRITORIAL SETTLEMENTS
PARAMOUNTCY OF BUOYE OMUSO (BROWN) MAJOR HOUSE IN FINIMA AND ITS TERRITORIAL SETTLEMENTS
Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House of Finima does not share any of its territorial Settlements with any other House or Family.
The Territorial Settlements of Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House of Finima, include; Agia-Okolo, Akusu, Agalanga, Owubipi, Mongolobie (Ajalamonigha-Kiri & Amariari-Kiri), Light House, Finitasingi, Dogokiri, Agaja 1, 2, 3, & 4, Workers Camp, Airport Road/New Road, Government Girls Secondary School, Finima, Mbisughu, Namata, Gum-Kiri, Bregede, Okumakiri, etc.{ BUOYE OMUSO HOUSE AND ITS TERRITORIAL SETTLEMENTS }
The Territorial Settlements of Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House of Finima, include; Agia-Okolo, Akusu, Agalanga, Owubipi, Mongolobie (Ajalamonigha-Kiri & Amariari-Kiri), Light House, Finitasingi, Dogokiri, Agaja 1, 2, 3, & 4, Workers Camp, Airport Road/New Road, Government Girls Secondary School, Finima, Mbisughu, Namata, Gum-Kiri, Bregede, Okumakiri, etc.{ BUOYE OMUSO HOUSE AND ITS TERRITORIAL SETTLEMENTS }
Its territorial Settlements are bounded in the South, by the coastline, and across the Bonny River to settlements in Bregede and others, in the East, by a clear and undisputed boundary with the LongJohn House of Abalamabie, at Gum-Kiri, in the North West, by a creek known as Eresinye-Okolo, behind Bonny Government School Bonny.
As a mark of their ownership of Finima land, and in recognition of their ancestors’ ownership of same, it was the Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House that exclusively owned the Memorial House, Brown Waterfront, Finima Town Square [aka “Buo Nungo] meaning “Buo’s Square” and Brown House War canoe dock house in the Old Finima Settlement, all of which were replaced in New Finima, when the Community was relocated in 1991. Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House has also enjoyed and exercised exclusive and maximum acts of ownership over all lands in Finima, by building thereon, granting licenses to non-members of the House to live in their settlements, leasing and allocating parts thereof to non-members of the House as well as third parties, including corporate organizations etc.
BUOYE OMUSO HOUSE AND ITS TERRITORIAL SETTLEMENTS
The well known and accepted history of the founding and ownership of Finima by the Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House is documented and also encapsulated in many published books, and journals, some of which are;
(1) “The Trading States of the Oil Rivers” by G. I. Jones, published in 1963, etc, as well as
(2) Weber’s Intelligence Report on Bonny, 1936.
(3) “A History of Grand Bonny” by Professor E. J. Alagoa, published in 1972,
There are also plethora of decided cases on the founding and ownership of Finima some of which are;
There are also plethora of decided cases on the founding and ownership of Finima some of which are;
(1)Suit No. PHC/174/1972 – Chief Samuel O. Tobin & Others VS Chief Israel I. Brown &Others; this judgment on appeal was affirmed by the Court of appeal in Enugu in Suit No. FCA/E/60/1980 – Chief Samuel O. Tobin & Others VS Chief Israel I Brown & Others,
(2) Suit No: PHC/188/2010 – Chief Y. S. Tobin VS Chief Yibo Buowari Brown & Others,
(3)Suit No: PHC/745/2012 – Chief Young Sunday Tobin & Others VS(i) Mobil Producing
Nigeria Unlimited,
(ii) Julius Berger Nigeria Plc;
(iii) Chief Henry Buowari Brown &
(iv)Elder (Barrister) Bara Brown and many other decided cases.
The issue of Paramountcy of the Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House, in Finima, and the founding of Finima by its ancestors, is well captured and succinctly put on page 99 of the
The issue of Paramountcy of the Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House, in Finima, and the founding of Finima by its ancestors, is well captured and succinctly put on page 99 of the
Judgment in Suit No. PHC/174/1972 – Chief Samuel O. Tobin & Others vs. Chief Israel I. Brown & Others, where the trial Judge Hon. Justice O. Inko-Tariah rightly put it thus;
“The Brown House with its paramountcy in Finima as the founders are the owners of all property vested in the Finima village except property in private ownership of individual families”
“The Brown House with its paramountcy in Finima as the founders are the owners of all property vested in the Finima village except property in private ownership of individual families”
It is therefore not surprising that, when the early European traders/missionaries arrived at Bonny Island, they found Chief Omoni Jack Brown, who was then the Head & Chief of Buoye Omuso (Brown) Major House and Paramount Chief of Finima, in a position of absolute authority in Finima and relative independence with in the Ibani clan. He was titled the “Governor of Finima”. He also provided sanctuary in Finima to King William Dappa Pepple when the latter returned from exile in 1861, and created enabling environment for the early Christian missionaries to propagate the gospel in Ibani land{ BUOYE OMUSO HOUSE AND ITS TERRITORIAL SETTLEMENTS }
