Town 10 of 10 · Okrika Island
Koniju
Kọ̀nị̀jú
The “place for fishermen”, whose king carries the founder’s name.
- Literal meaning
- “Place for fishermen”
- Ruler’s title
- Oputibeya
- Stool
- Second class, from 2018
- Counted
- The tenth town, after 1913
History
The story of Koniju.
The dictionary glosses kọ̀nị̀jú literally as “place for fishermen”, a name given to a section of the main town of Okrika. Okrika counted nine towns before 1913; Koniju is now recognised as the tenth.
Koniju’s king bears the title Oputibeya, the name the dictionary gives to the founder of Kịrịkẹ. In October 2018 HRH Nelson Atubo was crowned Oputibeya XI after the stool had been vacant for some years, and the stool was raised to second class. At the coronation the chairman of the Okrika Council of Chiefs called Koniju “the cradle of civilization in the kingdom”.
On 31 December 2024 the Governor of Rivers State presented a staff of office to HRM Winston Odize Alamina, Oputibeya XII, as Amanyanabo of Koniju.
Founding stories come from oral tradition and differ between sources.
From the dictionary
Words that belong to Koniju.
Sources
- Sika, L. (1995), ed. Blench, R. (2005). Kịrịkẹnị Ọkụẹịngbọlụ Diri — Okrika Dictionary.
- Wikipedia — Okrika
- The Tide (2018) — Koniju town gets new monarch
- Channels TV (2024) — Fubara presents staff of office to recognised monarchs
From Koniju?
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