There has been a change of leadership at the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BOCCIMA) with business mogul, Amairigha Hart, taking over as President from seasoned financial expert, Lawrence Jumbo, who takes a bow after a three year stint navigating the institution to visibility.

The new President, Amairigha Hart, after the brief handover event from his predecessor, Lawrence Jumbo on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 in Port Harcourt, pledged to galvanize stakeholders to actualize the collective vision of the chamber’s Grand Patron, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, CON, Perekule XI, who is also the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom.

Assuring of his administration’s determination to articulate and follow through with a strategic roadmap within their tenure to consolidate on the growth trajectory achieved by the past executive, Amairigha Hart, who is stepping in as the 3rd President of BOCCIMA, further promised a paradigm shift in engaging the business community in Bonny LGA.

He further assured of a harmonious working relationship with the Board of Trustees, Executive Council, members of the chamber, and all stakeholders within the Kingdom to achieve the aspirations of both the members and the chamber.

The outgoing President, Lawrence Jumbo, on behalf of his Executive, took an honorary bow while pledging unalloyed support to the Chamber under the new leadership, noting that the cooperation of the members was key to the achievements recorded under their watch.

The governance transition was an outcome of an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BOCCIMA) on Thursday, May 20, 2021.

In a chat with Kristina Reports shortly after the handover event, Director General of the BOCCIMA, Constance Nwokejiobi, informed that the re-activated Chamber under the leadership of the past President, Lawrence Jumbo, who held sway between 2019 and 2021, had ignited a further boost to its positioning in the economic growth of Bonny Kingdom by appointing a new Executive Council that would run it affairs between 2021 to 2022.

According to her, this new leadership is made up of experts from various businesses and the political class in Bonny Kingdom, which has now accentuated the robustness of the governance structure aimed at deepening its engagement drive to take the business environment in Bonny Kingdom to the next level.

The BOCCIMA Director General, who is also the Executive Secretary, expressed her appreciation to the past executives, assuring the new executive, which she described as a “Paradigm Shift Executives”, of her pivotal support in ensuring that the Chamber achieves its corporate objectives for its members and relevant stakeholders.

On her part, the incoming 1^st Deputy President, Anengi Barasua, who is also the Vice Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, appreciated the outgoing executive for their “wonderful service and contributions towards the Chamber and Bonny Kingdom”.

The outgoing executive comprises the former President, Lawrence Jumbo, former Vice President, Vincent Furo, a former President of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA) and past executive member of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), former Financial Secretary, Samuel Jumbo, former Public Relations Officer (PRO), Biekpo Chapp-Jumbo, former Treasurer, Roselyn Hart, Bara Kabaka-Brown,

Present at the occasion were members of the new executive comprising the 2^nd Deputy President, Dienye Willie-Pepple; Treasurer, Itoruowusi Green; Financial Secretary, Chidiebere Myke-Obialor; Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dabota Jumbo; and External Auditor, Hugh Halliday.

Some achievements of the past leadership include Induction Ceremony for the over 100 members of the chamber, a global trade tour, a Business Seminar and The Market Place (a mini-trade fair) for women businesses in the chamber, an investment tour of its proposed industrial park by fiscal management and investment organizations, and hosting of the 56^th President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Onome Adewuyi, among others.   

Kristina Reports’ checks indicate that the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (BOCCIMA) was founded in 1998 and incorporated in 2003 as a non-profit making organization, limited by guarantee under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) of 1990 to “promote, support or oppose legislative or other measures affecting trade, industry, commerce and agriculture”.

Further checks reveal that, since its inception, BOCCIMA has remained a leading voice of the private sector through its sustained public policy advocacy, stakeholders’ engagement and trade promotion activities.