Youths of Dan-Jumbo Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom have resurged to progressive ways, converging on the ethos of unity, pragmatism and strategic engagement to achieve for themselves and sustain the legacy of their progenitor, the legendary Chief Jene Dan-Jumbo.

President of the Dan-Jumbo Youth Association, Daniel Dan-Jumbo disclosed this in an interview with Kristina Reports on the sidelines of the End-of-Year meeting of the body at Fruit of Labour building, Mission Road, Bonny.

He said the youth body was surging forward under his leadership by ensuring that the building blocks of progressive trajectory were consolidated upon, stating that the ultimate goal was to sustain the legacy of the founder of the body, Ogboada William Dan-Jumbo.

Dan-Jumbo noted that part of this new positive trajectory were the achievements of the current executive under his leadership which include registration of the Dan-Jumbo Youth Association with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), opening of a bank account with the United Bank of Africa (UBA), and charity outreach to the elderly in Dan-Jumbo Community.

He further revealed that some of the youths of the community have been trained in scaffolding, iron bending, welding, fitting and other areas, while some have been given employment in different areas, adding that the association has also purchased lawn mowers for use in the cleaning the community.

“Today under my leadership the Dan-Jumbo youths have gotten three cutting machines for cutting grass. By the special grace of God we have opened an account with UBA, a standard account. By the special grace of God the Dan-Jumbo youth association under my leadership has been registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).”

“It is not my making but the making of God. And other things the youths have achieved both in terms of employment, taking care of the old people in the village, so on and so forth. We have trained a lot of people…in scaffolding, welding, fitters, and iron benders. We have trained them and they have been certified okay.”

He appealed to the youths of the Dan-Jumbo Community to join hands with the current leadership to move the community forward, stressing that to achieve this it was important to build a youth hall in the community which will serve as meeting place for the youths of the community.    

Lending support to the postulations of the Dan-Jumbo Youth President, Protem Secretary of the association, Dr Humphrey Dan-Jumbo pointed out that the oneness of mind and unity of purpose was the critical factor underpinning the progress and development being witnessed in the youth arm of the Dan-Jumbo House.

“The major thing about peaceful coexistence among the youths of Dan-Jumbo is love and we have a common goal. When we have a common goal and we are not defocused and there is no need for us to fight.”

“The only thing we will fight is for our collective interest and our collective interest is to see that the youths move from one level of development to the other. That is why we don’t have that time to defocus ourselves and start chasing shadows. We move straight and achieve our collective interest.”

He opined that the forward looking plans of the Dan-Jumbo Youth Association was primarily the construction of a befitting secretariat for the youths, to serve as a convergence point, among other uses.

“We have programmes, policies, plans that have been rolled out for 2021 and one of such policies, programmes that we intend to achieve is the youth secretariat in the village. That is our major hope for 2021.”

“I think if we achieve this, it will recorded among our sister houses as one of the first youth body that has a secretariat. Aside Longjohn house, I don’t think any other chieftaincy house has it. As for subhouses, this will be the first subhouse whose youth association will be recorded as those who have a befitting edifice as a secretariat in their country home.”

On his part, the Vice Chairman of the Dan-Jumbo House Elders Council, Cyril Dan-Jumbo praised the youths for their forthrightness, declaring the support of the elders of the house for their activities and programmes.

“We are 100 per cent in support of them. When they are together, they are fighting common goal, common cause and each time they come to me I always give them advice because after us they will take over.”

The older Dan-Jumbo, who is a retired Master Warrant Officer (MWO) with the Nigerian Navy, stated that the Elders Council was ready to provide the youths with the necessary support to succeed in their endeavours, advising them to prioritize love and unity in their dealings with one another.

“My word for them is that there is nothing they can do without love, they should work in unity and love themselves and fight together.”

The Dan-Jumbo Youth Association was formed in 1974 by the now deceased Ogboada William Dan-Jumbo as a convergence point and a vehicle for pursuing the development and progress of the youths of the Dan-Jumbo Chieftaincy House.