Two critical institutions of Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State, Nigeria, the Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC) and Bonny Women Forum (BWF) have agreed on a partnership geared towards improving the lives of women in Bonny LGA.

Chairman of BKDC, Amairigha Hart, and Bonny Kingdom Woman Leader, Helen Pepple came out with this position on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 during a meeting between the two bodies at the Women’s Hall, Bonny.

Addressing the BWF Executives and Woman Leaders of the chieftaincy houses in Bonny Kingdom, the BKDC Chairman promised that his committee would stop at nothing to address the needs outlined by the women, which, according to him, focuses on addressing issues pertaining to the economic empowerment and improvement of living conditions for the women.

“We want to promise you that whatever it demands to make that your demands are met we are going to go that extra mile.”

“We are happy that the women of this kingdom have a vision. Going by all that you have outlined as per your plans to improve the lives of the women, I think it is commendable.”  

He eulogized the Bonny Kingdom Woman Leader for the sterling qualities she exudes, noting that her clear vision for improving the lives of the women of Bonny Kingdom was in sync with the developmental vision of the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom.

“Amaopuorubo Helen Jack-Wilson Pepple is a woman well known to me. I’ll not mince words by saying I admire every quality in her; she’s powerful, she is a mover, and whatever anyone places in her hands consider it done. That is the kind of person she is. Anywhere, any day and any time, I’m proud to say that I am proud of her.”

“His Majesty is setting up the kingdom as the economic hub of the nation. It is one already but we need to harness its potentials and make them economically viable. We want to be seen as more than what we are now, as a tourist destination.”  

Earlier, the Leader of the Bonny Women Forum (BWF), Helen Pepple had expressed appreciation to the committee for coming to meet with the women, noting that a synergy between both critical kingdom institutions was strategic to realizing the vision of transforming Bonny Kingdom and making a haven of development and progress.

She disclosed that the BWF requires broadbased synergy to achieve its vision of building a Women Development Center, which will serve as both administrative office for the form and also house an integrated skills acquisition, micro credit and economic empowerment center, appealing to the committee to avail the BWF with the relevant support to achieve set objectives.  

“The leadership of Bonny Women Forum after a robust engagement with members of the various chieftaincy houses unanimously requested for the construction and establishment of a Recreative Centre to upscale the development of Bonny Kingdom.”

“The Recreative Centre, which is a two storey building, will accommodate the Bonny Women Integrated Skills Acquisition Micro-Credit and Economic Empowerment Center, wherein we will have a bottled and sachet water factory established for Bonny women so that Bonny women will own it.”    

She further informed that the center would be utilized to provide ongoing capacity building trainings for women in diverse fields of endeavour, stressing that this would assist the women to be self-reliant and also contribute to upscale the local economy.

“Skills of diverse shades will be taught including fashion designing, tye and dye, hair dressing, weaving, fishing and farming, food processing, animal husbandry, typing and computer maintenance, phone repairs, indoor and outdoor catering, cosmetology, business startups, poultry, fish pond and make-up.”

“Like I said, we have done something beyond this neighbourhood but we can take it beyond what we have now.”

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that since its inauguration on Saturday, November 5, 2022, the Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC) has been engaging with relevant stakeholders with a view to fully activating the actualization of the developmental vision of Bonny Kingdom as envisaged by the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom.