Abonnema

Abonnema (originally known as Nyemoni, which means "covet your own" in the Kalabari dialect of the Ijaw languages group) is a larger town in the Kalabari kingdom that was founded in 1882. It was discovered by an expedition of a host of chiefs from the Kalabari town (Elem Kalabari). These include Chief Young Briggs (a Kalabari warrior whose original name is Chief Inikeiroari Iso-owu Briggs) in Nigeria. Other warriors like Chief Ekine Manuel, Chief Otaji, Chief Owukori Manuel, Chief Jack, Chief Young-Jack, Chief Boy Whyte, Chief Black Duke, with many others following behind him with their people, and together they made the town of Abonnema a reality. The town is today one of three major towns in Kalabari, others being Bakana founded in 1880 and Buguma in 1884. The late Chief Alaye Fubara-Manuel had written a poem entitled "Nyemoni" to showcase the legacy of the community.

There are four major family compounds that make up the town namely Manuel(Owukori), Briggs (Oruwari), Georgewill (Otagi) and Jack (Iju). These family compounds are headed by head chiefs and the town headed by the head chief of the Manuel family via a system of Primus inter pares. Since its founding in 1882, Abonnema has been headed by a head chief from the Manuel (Owukori) house and the Amayanabo of Abonnema has come from the direct descendants of Chief Bob-Manuel who was once described by Mary Henrietta Kingsley (1862-1900 ) in her book West African Studies as "another chief of no mean capacity is Bob Manuel, of Abonema, exceedingly neat, almost a dandy in appearance, a very shrewd trader, clear and concise in his speech, honourable in all his dealings, of a very reserved temperament." Today, Abonnema's Amayanabo is Chief Disreal Gbobo Bob-Manuel (Owukori IX) a nephew of King Morgan Opuarudokubo Bob-Manuel (Owukori VIII), who died in January 2011. The Amayanabo under kalabari custom is the head of Council of Chiefs of the town and is the father of the town.

Abonnema grew to be a flourishing major Nigerian seaport during the colonial era, and was host to many European companies and the Royal Niger, company which changed name to UAC. Abonnema is located on an island.

Today, as a capital of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State in Nigeria, Abonnema has produced many prominent and famous people. Abonnema is home to the writer A. Igoni Barrett and the former Miss World, Agbani Darego, who is from the Jack compound.

References

• Abonnema at Encyclopædia Britannica

Abonnema Foundation .org/