Ilomatoru Community in Bonny Kingdom, Rivers State witnessed a historic moment as new members were inaugurated into the Ilomatoru Host Community Trust Fund Management Committee under the Petroleum Industrial Act (PIA).

Inaugurating the Committee on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Chairman of the Ilomatoru Host Community Trust Fund Board of Trustees, Wari-Alabo Bill Pollyn said it signals a new era of development for the community.

Noting that the move was aimed at establishing leadership for developmental efforts in the community, Wari-Alabo Pollyn emphasized the pivotal role of the Committee in driving growth across critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and human capital development.

He highlighted the community’s alignment with the broader developmental goals of the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, CON, DSSRS, JP, Perekule XI, whose initiatives, he said have spurred progress throughout the kingdom, notably in infrastructure projects like the Bonny-Bodo Road.

The inauguration, he noted, marks the extension of these efforts to the grassroots, ensuring that even smaller communities like Ilomatoru feels the impact of national development.

“I want to thank His Majesty, our King Edward Asimini Pepple. I want to graciously thank him for his magnanimity: giving us free hand to run these acts”.

“The community as you know, will benefit immensely from developmental projects. We are going to look into Education. We are going to look into the Health Sector. We are going to look into Human Capital Building. We are going to look into, you know, developments that will bring meaningful success and prosperity to the people.”

“We are replicating what His Majesty is doing in the kingdom. It’s now going to trickle down to the community, the smaller community. That is what we are doing. If you go to Bonny, you will see numerous projects going on. To crown it all, the Bonny-Bodo Road.”

“These are all the ideas of His Majesty, and he appended his signature. So, we are taking it down to the grass-roots at the community level, where the community also will feel the impact at their own level of development”.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Oruibi Family of the Pollyn Chieftaincy House, Warisenibo Sunny Pollyn, expressed excitement over the development, noting they have been expecting it for years and it has happened, urging the newly inaugurated members to uphold the trust placed in them and not disappoint them.

“It’s something we were looking for, we have not seen, and we are alive to witness today, so I don’t think anybody will give excuse, we will deliver.
they should not disappoint the community, they should be thorough in whatever thing given to them and deliver”.

The inauguration had three executive members and six non-executive members of the management committee inaugurated.

In line with the PIA, which requires that executive members are professionals, Girlie Ate, a banker, Joseph Fombo, a lawyer, and Idiok Anthony, Project Management expert, alongside six non-executive members; Wari-Opusenibo Kenneth Pollyn, Daniel Pollyn, Gift Jumbo, Warisenibo Gabriel Pollyn, Miracle Pollyn, and Obusa Pollyn, were inaugurated into the Committee.

In an interview with Kristina Reports on the sidelines of the event, Secretary of the Committee, Joseph Fombo said the inauguration signaled the official start of the committee’s work, which, he said would involve the judicious management of funds for approved projects.

“This is the committee that will run the PIA board, the board that has been inaugurated for the running and management of the funds that will be released to the committee based on projected work, approved work by the board”.

“The significance and the essence of the inauguration of this committee marks the beginning of our work, by this inauguration the various committees inaugurated today are supposed to kickstart their work, we have had the first board meeting today and we shall continue in that light”.

Also speaking with Kristina Reports, Girlie Ate expressed optimism about the future of the community, recognizing the moment as a turning point for the community, drawing on her years of banking experience, she said it conveyed her commitment to contributing meaningfully to the community’s growth.

“All through my life, I’ve always wanted to be a part of the working system. My years as a banker, I didn’t know it was projecting me for this particular dream of mine, because why made me to be a member of this body is my years of banking experience and there’s a popular saying that says think of what you can do for your country and not what your country can do for you.”

“I’ve always had that in my mind and today I’ve been given that opportunity to contribute my own quota to my community and it gives me joy and fulfillment that tomorrow I’ll look at things, projects in my community and say I’m a part of it.”

The inauguration was seen as a significant step toward ushering in unity, development, and lasting prosperity for Ilomatoru and its people.

Ilomatoru Community, situated on the Western flank of the Bonny River, shares boundaries with the Oceania communities in Kalabari land and on the North-Eastern axis with Okrika, is a settlement exclusively owned by the Pollyn Family of Bonny Kingdom.