The Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Dame Anengi Wilcox has charged the new executive of the Bonny Youth Federation (BYF) to perform creditably well in order to please posterity.

Dame Wilcox, who came out with this on Thursday, November 16, 2023 during the inauguration of the BYF Executive led by Anthony Banigo, also dismissed allegations against the outgoing BYF executive as unfounded, saying that those making the allegations could not provide evidence to back up their claims.

“Some few months ago, there was what I will call brouhaha on social media, allegations and counter allegations. Things like that can spark off insecurity at any point in time.”

“I took my time and I did my own investigation. I had the account number of the BYF – of course, you know that government has been sponsoring 90% of the activities of the BYF – so, I have every reason to ask for the account statement…and to my surprise, all the allegations had no proof.”

“So, what was the social media onslaught for? To the extent that a huge sum of about N210 million was alleged.”

“Let me also state it here that in that account they didn’t get up to N50million for three years; and I was waiting for anybody, any youth, individual or group of persons that would have written to me with proof of evidence and then watch the action I would have taken. But nobody came up.

“…even when a group was mandated to investigate or do fact finding, they still didn’t come up with any evidence. But people have been judged, people have been condemned; no wonder Christ was killed. This is how gullible we are today.

She counselled them to exceed the drawbacks of the immediate-past administration and live up to the expectation of their constituents, notifying the new leadership that it was not going to be business as usual, while calling for their full support in sustaining the peace in Bonny.

The Bonny LGA boss charged them to hit the ground running by holding regular congress meetings with the next to be held within the next four months, reviewing the BYF constitution with a view to fast-tracking the formal registration of the BYF.

She further directed the new executive to supervise youth elections in the various chieftaincy houses in collaboration with the government, as well as the fight against drug abuse, cultism and other forms of youth restiveness, reminding them that they were not a revenue generating body but a special purpose vehicle to represent the interest of youths.

Earlier, the Chief Magistrate of the Bonny Magisterial District, His Worship, Onams Harry-Ayerite, represented by the Legal Adviser to the Bonny Local Government Council, Sinyeofori Banigo-David administered the oath of office to members of the BYF executive.

The new executive includes Anthony Banigo; Leader, Abarasi Abbey-Hart; Deputy Leader, Sylvanus Omoni Sam; Secretary, Maureen Endwell Tobin; Assistant Secretary, Tonye Willie-Pepple; Director of Publicity, Sotonye Allison; Director of Environment and Pollution, Dovie Dublin-Green; Director of Socials, Miyalla Wilcox; Director of Manpower, Kenneth Bristol; Director of Finance, Sandra Jim-Halliday; Director of Women Affairs, Christian Boma Pepple; Director of Security.

In his acceptance speech, the Leader of the Bonny Youth Federation, Anthony Banigo, on behalf of his Central Executive Council (CEC), thanked the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom and the Bonny LGA Chairman, stakeholders, BYF delegates, security agencies and the youths of Bonny LGA for the confidence reposed in them.

He promised to raise the bar of leadership by focusing on youth empowerment, constitutional reforms in line with current realities and campaigns against social vices.

Delivering the vote of thanks, the outgoing Leader of the BYF, Emmanuel Finecountry congratulated his successor and charged him to do better as already stated by the Local Government Chairman, expressing his gratitude to Dame Wilcox for all the support his executive received from her administration during their tenure.

In attendance at the brief ceremony were the Vice Chairman of Bonny LGA; Wariopusenibo Omoni Longjohn, Leader of the Bonny Legislative Assembly; Rt. Hon. Larry Ibaningo, Chief of Staff to the Bonny LGA Chairman; Austin Onu-Pepple, Supervisor of Works; Edmund Fombo, and the representative of the Divisional Police Officer, Bonny Division, Nkoyo Ekpenyong, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, amongst others.