PREAMBLE:

Bonny Gentlemen’s League herein-after referred to as the “The League” is a frontline Socio-Cultural organization of distinguished gentlemen of Bonny, and of diverse professions and vocations, committed to the sustainable human, economic and physical development of Bonny Kingdom/Local Government Area. The League, as a community-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), is committed in robust advocacy for public policy and good governance, and to leverage on partnerships towards the achievement of definitive goals for accelerated development at the grassroots level.

As a tradition, The League holds its Conventions/ Annual General Meetings in the last week of December every year and uses the opportunity to reflect on issues and events in the out-going year in Bonny Local Government Area in particular, Rivers State and the Nation at large, which impact on the livelihoods of the average Bonny man and the Kingdom.

Pursuant to this tradition, the League held her 44th Convention/2nd AGM on Sunday 24th December 2023 at the end of which the League resolved as follows:

RESOLUTIONS:

1. The League saluted His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Edward I, CON, DSSRS, Perekule XI; Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Grand Bonny Kingdom. It commended His Majesty for his inspirational leadership style and drive which led to the agreement between the Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC) and the NLNG/Train 7 Project Consortium for the execution of some laudable Community Development Projects in Bonny as part of the Community Social Responsibility (CSR) projects for the Train 7 Project, amongst which are the expansion of the Bonny major road from Shell Gate to the Coal Beach and the spur from Amaomu/Court Road Junction to the King Perekule Palace, a Sports Academy with 5,000 (Five Thousand) persons capacity stadium, hostel, clinic and other training and social facilities. Others include an Express Road from Workers’ Camp to Simidia Junction on Abalamabie Road, as well as a Vehicle Terminal along the Bonny axis of the Bodo-Bonny Road.
2. The League further commended His Majesty for rejigging the Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC) for optimum performance and the appointment of a Leaguite AMAOPUSENIBO SIR AMAIRIGHA EDWARD HART as its Chairman.
3. The League also appreciated His Majesty for appointing two more Leaguites namely: DR. VICTOR IBIGONI JUMBO and AMASENIBO ANTHONY FOMBO to serve in the Committee, and expressed supreme confidence that their unique resourcefulness, dynamism and vast wealth of experience in service delivery will be brought to bear on the Kingdom’s developmental strides in conformance with His Majesty’s vision.
4. The League lauded the Executive Chairman, Bonny Local Government Council, Hon. Dame Mrs. Anengi Claude-Wilcox for her laudable strides especially in the areas of Peace and Security in the Kingdom and tremendous reduction in the incidences of piracy on our waterways; and the efforts of the Security Agencies in the Local Government for the appreciable security situation in the LGA.
5. The League appealed to the Executive Chairman, Bonny Local Government Council, Hon. Dame Mrs. Anengi Claude-Wilcox to address the failed or collapsed portion of the Akiama-Ogwu-ede (Olom Abalama) Road, either directly or in conjunction with other corporate bodies on the Island to facilitate economic activities along that axis.
6. The League noted that the cost of transportation to and from Bonny by sea and on the Island is prohibitive and increasingly becoming unbearable to commuters. The operators in the transport sector attribute this development to the high cost of petroleum products in Bonny. To this end, the League urged the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Dame Mrs. Anengi Claude-Wilcox, to reactivate the product supply chain in liaison with key industry players including the NNPC Ltd, and also, construct a Filling Station in Bonny to guarantee the seamless supply and distribution of petroleum products in the LGA to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
7. The League reminded the Political Class including all Bonny sons and daughters in elective and appointive positions of public trust, to honour their campaign promises to the people of Grand Bonny during the 2023 general elections, espoused at the BGL 43d Annual Convention/Town Hall Meeting of 24^th December 2022, on the main theme “Fast-Tracking the Development of Bonny LGA through Synergies” and sub-theme “Prospects and Challenges to Fast-Tracking the Development of Bonny LGA in 2023 and Beyond.” The League beseeched them to leverage on their 4-year mandate period to bring innovative and impactful dividends of democracy to improve the livelihoods of the people and economic development of Bonny LGA.
8. The League commended the Federal Government and NLNG for the progress of Work at the ongoing Bodo-Bonny Road project, which has achieved over 80% completion rate, but condemned the recent threat of the construction company, Julius Berger Plc, to demobilize from project site. The League compliance /poor implementation of community content concerns by the Project Contractor, SCD-JV. The League therefore admonished the Consortium, SCD-JV to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Local Content Act, the NCDMB Community Guideline and the Project Memorandum of Understanding (PMOU) executed with the Bonny Kingdom Local Content Compliance Committee (BKLCCC); and ensure the actualization of community content deliverables in jobs and business opportunities amongst others, to Bonny community vendors in order to avoid restiveness and industrial crisis and enhance seamless project execution and delivery.
9. The League expressed serious concerns about the increasing frequency of power outages on the Island, and called on the JICs and BUC to speedily upgrade the electricity generation and distribution capacity respectively, to improve the current debilitating situation of power supply to consumers on the lsland.
10. The League gave kudos to the Federal Government for reconstituting the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) but decried the non-appointment of a Bonny indigene into the Board since inception, and the Agency’s manifest neglect of Bonny LGA in its project execution initiatives. The League therefore called on the Agency to revitalize and speedily execute the stalled Bonny Ring Road Project, which is a vital communication infrastructure to link the towns and satellite communities in Bonny East to the Metropolis and activate economic activities along that axis of the Local Government Area.
11. The League gave kudos to the Federal Government for reconstituting the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) but decried the non-appointment of a Bonny indigene into the Board since inception, and the Agency’s manifest neglect of Bonny LGA in its project execution initiatives. The League therefore called on the Agency to revitalize and speedily execute the stalled Bonny Ring Road Project, which is a vital communication infrastructure to link the towns and satellite communities in Bonny East to the Metropolis and activate economic activities along that axis of the Local Government Area.
12. The League congratulated the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Amaopusenibo (Sir) Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, GSSRS, for his resounding victory at the 2023 gubernatorial election and his successes at the various Courts till date, and wished him a peaceful and efficacious tenure.
13. The League strongly condemned the recent political crisis in Rivers State occasioned by the botched attempt to impeach the Executive Governor of the State by a faction of the State House of Assembly on groundless allegations. The League passed a vote of confidence on the Executive Governor for his purposeful leadership and commitment to promote unity, peace and progress to foster good governance and speedy development of the State, and called on the good people of Rivers State to be vigilant and remain resolute in solidarity with the administration of His Excellency, Amaopusenibo Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, GSSRS, to take Rivers State to the next level.
14. The League drew the attention of the Executive Governor of Rivers State to the abject neglect of Bonny Local Government Area by the immediate past administration in terms of infrastructure and Human Capital Development despite the huge contributions of Bonny Local Government to the State’s despite the huge contributions of Bonny Local Government to the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). The League therefore implored the Governor to preferentially and speedily award some legacy projects, including the completion of the upgrading of Bonny National Grammar School and award contracts for the construction of internal roads in Bonny Metropolis, to compensate for the glaring infrastructural deficit in the LGA.

At the end of the 44 Annual Convention/21 AGM, the League rejigged her 2023-2024 Executive Committee which now has the following officers:

1. Amaopusenibo Olam Allwell-Brown – Chancellor
2. Dr. Victor I. Jumbo – Registrar
3. Mr. Diepiri Ezekiel-Hart – Deputy Registrar
4. Mr. Alexander Wilcox – Director of Finance
5. Amasenibo Anthony Fombo – Director of Exchequer
6. Sir Tonye Ekong – Director of Publicity
7. Mr. Fiabema Hailsham – Director of Socials/Welfare
8. Mr. Ethelbert Oko-Jumbo – Chief Whip.
9. Amaopusenibo Dagogo A. Hart – Ex-Officio

Signed:

Amaopusenibo Barr. Torudoghubo D. Jamaica, Chairman, Current and National Affairs

Dr. Victor Ibigoni Jumbo, Registrar

Amaopusenibo (Squadron Leader-Olam Allwell-Brown (Rtd), JP., Chancellor

Dated this 5th Day of February, 2024.