My position on the Amanyanabo stool and Tonye Princewill’s 40th birthday
By Prof. Tam David West
Monday, February 02, 2009
David West
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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Tonye, I thank you for the invitation to your 4oth Birthday. However, I was unable to attend because the invitation was issued by your father, my cousin, who signed as "King (Prof) T.J.T Princewill Amanyanabo of Kalabad Kingdom. Amachree XI" I would like to believe that as a responsible and highly educated young man you are aware that there is no "King" or "Amanyanabo" of the Kalabari Kingdom as of today. The law of Nigeria is blind to the existence of your father as "Amanyanabo" because he was not properly installed in accordance with our 300 years old tradition and custom. He is accordingly not recognised by the Federal Government of Nigeria as Amanyanabo (King) of the Kalabari kingdom.
The Federal Government's non-recognition is also planked on the not mutually exclusive ground that there is an existing INTERIM (INTERLOCUTORY) ORDER handed down by the Honourable Justice A.A. Wodu on April 12, 2002 RESTRAINING him from parading himself (or be so paraded) as "Amanyanabo of Kalabari, Amachree XI" until the final resolution of the CHALLENGE to his purported and clandestine 'installation' as 'Amanyanabo' in SUIT NO: PH/624/2002 instituted by four other princess (all professionals) who also have no encumbrance whatsoever to the Patriarch King Amachree Throne.
Interim Court Order is both Interlocutory and Prohibitive (In: “Injunctions and Enforcement of Orders” by Afe Babalola, SAN).
Thus, by 'parading' himself as 'Amanyanabo of Kalabari' in the invitation letter, your father, my cousin, is palpably CONTUMACIOUS to the Court of the Land or CONTEMPTUOUS of it. And this is most embarrassing and dangerous especially in the contemporary President Yar'Adua's administration whose mantra is the "Rule of Law," especially OBEDIENCE to court orders.
A categorical rock-solid proof that the Federal Government did not recognise him was provided by the fact that when he was awarded the National Honour, CON, as 'Amanyanabo of Kalabari' two years ago, the President Olusegun Obasanjo government later realized that there is nobody like that by law, and so he most advisedly and responsibly withdrew the award from him. This is why he did not use "CON" after his name in the invitation letter.
He was ONLY recognised by the former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili on June 06, 2002 for political purpose. 'Recognition for Votes.' Trade by Barter of sorts. And that even surreptitiously and criminally contemptuous of the April 12, 2002 interim court order by The Honourable Justice A.A.Wodu.
Please, cousin Tonye, read the details in my 40-page Open Letter No.3 to Governor Odili, "ODILI: LEGALITY, MORALITY, INTEGRITY" serialized by the Independent Monitor in December 2002. I wrote it from London. The issues raised were that grave to the King Amachree's Dynasty
Also read: "Royal Battle Continues As Odili Makes Princewill Kalabari Monarch, ...Government Shuns Court Order. Recognise Princewill as Monarch" (Independent Monitor June 29, 2002). And, "Amanyanabo of Kalabari Issue: Judge Worried Over Non-Enforcement of Order" (Independent Monitor October 14-16, 2002 Back page).
A number of leading Kalabari communities have issued statements in the newspaper that they don't recognise as their King or Amanyanabo. This has never happened in our history as proud Kalabari people throughout the 300 years of the King Amachree Dynasty.
In short, your father is a soi-distant, self-styled, titular, nominal 'Amanyanabo' or 'King'. Putting it epigrammatically, our father is to all intents and purposes a 'Government House Amanyanabo' and not Amanyanabo of the Kalabari Kingdom by the law of Nigeria. Because the law is blind to his existence. Since his purported 'installation' corrupted our age-long tradition and custom.
I will plead with you, my dear cousin Tonye, please let us save the Amachree Dynasty and the sanctity of Kalabari tradition and custom from further corruption, prostitution and desecration. This is a sacred duty we owe the Ancestors, History, Present Generation and Posterity.
MANY MORE HAPPY RETURNS OF YOUR BIRTHDAY
I am sincerely proud of you. I do. Outside your parents nobody in the Family can ever dare to claim to know you more than me. For instance, I’ve followed you up from pampers in 1971 in Leeds, UK. Your father was doing his PhD Bacteriology. I was post-Doctoral Commonwealth Fellow, and also Commonwealth Tropical Medicine Fellow (in tandem) in London. And being very close cousins, your father and I, we exchanged visits (your mother of blessed memory was very much around).
Your father was so close and so dear to me I christened my first son, “Theophilus,” after him. We were so close he stayed with me at my father’s house (David-West Compound) when we were in Kalabari National College. Forget about all the nonsensical excuse that my father’s house is nearer to the College. Didn’t students attend from George’s Compound? Which is at least 4-times farther off. We were so close we called each other with the sobriquet, “De Bro.”
But I cannot allow these to drown my constructive stubbornness on things PRINCIPLES.. I will continue to fight against any attempts to prostitute our Kalabari culture, tradition, and custom. The veritable glues that define us and hold us together. Let me say emphatically that I have neither regrets nor any apologies for the two major issues I have against him.
(1) I opposed his "Regency." Because it gave him an unfair advantage over the other four princes interested to be King (Amanyanabo). The Military Administrator, Group Captain Ewang, later removed him on April 20, 1999 (4 Month Regency) by a special Government Announcement. (Ref: "The Sack of Prof. Theo Princewill" In: "Musing in a Kalabari Cab" by Fitzallen A. Briggs (2001).
(2) I remain (and will remain) implacably and inexorably opposed to his purportd 'installation' as 'Amanyanabo' in flagrant corruption of the revered Amanyanabo Institution of the Kalabari Kingdom.
It is a fight not for me a matrilineal prince. But for some patrineal princess among whom you are one, Tonye. Kalabari operates a sort of SALIC LAW.
Nobody with any shred of grey matter can ever claim a monopoly to arms or to desecreating criminal rascality. It is a time-honoured Kalabari aphorism that when someone falls to the ground in a fit of laughter it is not the laughing that makes him fall down. But he chose to fall down.
Asari Dokubo (Formerly Melford Goodhead) openly confessed: "Prof. T.J.T Princewill cannot deny the role I played to make a King(sic)... This was my plot... I did what I did because I and the king(sic) are from Ogo House." The Hard Truth March 3-9, 2005 Page 9. Part of his CONFESSIONS.
PLOT":
"A secret plan to achieve some purpose, especially one that is illegal or underhand" (Collins Concise Dictionary 21st Century, (2001).
"A plan forming the basis of a conspiracy" (Black's Law Dictionary Seventh ed. 1999).
It is clear that your father, my cousin was NOT properly installed as King or "Amanyanabo." It was all clandestine plot by Asari Dokubo and his militia. Becuase other more responsible, more disciplined, more circumspective and clearly more law abiding chose to 'fall' at the time confident that the BOGUS 'installation' will burn out.
YES indeed.
And when "Things Fell Apart" between them, your father and Asari Dokubo, he and his men attacked your father at a public function at the Integrated Cultural Centre, Aba Road, Port Harcourt. Your father was smuggled out. Is this edifying?
Next, he disrespectfully told your father: "The gun I used to make you King I will Use it to remove you." Is this a threat that should make any one happy? After all, without prejudice, he was talking to the "Throne."
But don't ever blame Asari Dokubo. Your father invited the INSULTS to himself. Because if your father was properly installed as Amanyanabo and if Asari Dokubo ever dare to insult him, the whole of Kalabari Kingdom will fight him and even ostracize him.
Tonye, my dear cousin, the ancestors are clearly outraged. Remember, my "De Bro," your father, told the Hard Truth reporters how lightening struck his residence (or one of them) when they decapitated the statue of our Legendary King Abbi, Amachree IV and took it to his residence. King Abbi a celebrated mystic. I kept the copy of the popular journal; indeed like lots of other documents. More terrible things are recounted. More perhaps may visit us. No superstition. Cosmic imperatives. I'm concerned. I'm worried.
“PLATO IS DEAR TO ME BUT DEARER STILL IS TRUTH.” ARISTOTLE
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpage...02-2009-08.htm 
The Owu-Aru-Sun Festival Of The Kalabari Kingdom In Rivers State 
For the Kalabari man which includes his women folks, culture is a way of life and forms part of their daily life. The Owu-Aru-Sun Alali is a series of masquerade display by the Kalabari people of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Oral Tradition has it that the festival is usually performed after the exhaustion of the various masquerades owned by both the community and the groups or compunds which usually last for between 15 to 20 years.
).... hmmm, Kalabari no get special kalabari dress?....
All night long, all night....
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