Ahead of the forthcoming local government elections, the Titled Citizens Assembly (TCA) of ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom says it would engage the candidates of the various political parties with a view to achieving agenda setting that kingdom focused for the next political dispensation in Bonny LGA.  

The TCA further said to achieve this it would organize a debate for the various candidates to avail them a veritable, non-partisan and kingdom focused platform to market their manifestos to the people of Bonny Kingdom.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Secretary of the assembly, Fred Pepple, and made available to Kristina Reports on Sunday, January 31, 2021.

“The Titled Citizens Assembly (TCA) of ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom has commenced arrangement to host a Political Debate on the forthcoming Local Government Elections billed for April 2021.”

“This is aimed at providing a veritable non-partisan and kingdom focused platform for the candidates of the various political parties contesting the election to espouse to the people of Bonny Kingdom their Manifesto and engage their opponent in interactive discourse on the issues in the manifestos.”

According to the group, though no date has been fixed given that it was awaiting the conclusion of primaries where candidates will be decided on for the various political parties, relevant stakeholders such as the political class, security agencies, community leaders, women groups, youth groups, professional entities, and the business community, among others, will be invited to make the debate more robust.  

“The proposed debate will hold at the Ibanise Hall, Akiama, Bonny on a date yet to be announced. All stakeholders (political class, security agencies, community leaders, women groups, youth groups, professional entities, business community, etc) will be invited to participate in order to give it a robust tone.”  

The statement clarified that the decision to convene a platform to avail the candidates an opportunity to present themselves and actions to the people of Bonny Kingdom was borne out of the conviction that “as the converging institution in the kingdom for coalescing efforts and resources to drive development in the Kingdom” it could “not stand aloof or askance at such as time when Bonny was at the threshold of a new era of development.  

The titled Citizens Assembly expressed the hope that the debate would engender “discourse on issues that are of collective interest to all Bonny people at this time,” noting that it “believes that this debate would yield dividends with regards to setting the agenda for both the executive and legislative arms of government at the grassroots level and also provide milestones for assessing governance once the elections are done with”.

The statement is reproduced below:

“LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLLS 2021: SETTING THE AGENDA, ENGAGING THE CANDIDATES

The Titled Citizens Assembly (TCA) of ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom has commenced arrangement to host a Political Debate on the forthcoming Local Government Elections billed for April 2021.

This is aimed at providing a veritable non-partisan and kingdom focused platform for the candidates of the various political parties contesting the election to espouse to the people of Bonny Kingdom their Manifesto and engage their opponent in interactive discourse on the issues in the manifestos.

The proposed debate will hold at the Ibanise Hall, Akiama, Bonny on a date yet to be announced. All stakeholders (political class, security agencies, community leaders, women groups, youth groups, professional entities, business community, etc) will be invited to participate in order to give it a robust tone.  

It is expected that all political parties involved in the elections and political camps of various politicians will work together with the TCA to make this debate a huge success in the sense that issues germane to the progress and development of Bonny Kingdom will serve as the overarching consideration.

It is the considered view of the Titled Citizens Assembly (TCA) of ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom that it is incumbent on it as the converging institution in the kingdom for coalescing efforts and resources to drive development in the Kingdom.

It is this consideration that has informed the decision to not stand aloof or askance at a time when Bonny Kingdom is at the threshold of a new era but take the initiative to converge stakeholders ahead of the forthcoming election to start a discourse on the issues that are of collective interest to all Bonny people at this time.

The TCA further believes that this debate would yield dividends with regards to setting the agenda for both the executive and legislative arms of government at the grassroots level and also provide milestones for assessing governance once the elections are done with.

We appeal to all and sundry to give this debate the support it needs to take Bonny Kingdom to the next level.

Signed:

Amaopusenibo Sir Fred S. Pepple, General Secretary, Titled Citizens’ Assembly of Ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom”