As the global community celebrates the 2024 Children’s Day, the Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Anengi Claude-Wilcox says her administration has outlawed all forms of social vices capable of destroying the future of children.

Claude-Wilcox said this on Saturday, May 25, 2024, during an event organized by the Foundation for Bonny Women Development to celebrate children in commemoration of the 2024 Children’s Day in Bonny, Rivers State.

She warned that her administration would not tolerate any form of misbehaviour by children and young people, encouraging them to keep working hard towards achieving a brighter future for themselves.

“Our responsibility is to take care of our people, the future leaders of tomorrow, especially, the children. What you do with your life today is our concern both as parents and as a government.”

“For those of you that knows “who goes there?” has ended in Bonny Island. For those of you who don’t attend classes, it has ended today because if I catch you, I will discipline you and I will not treat you as a minor because if I fail you today, I have failed myself.”

Advising the female children and youths, the Bonny LGA boss charged them not to allow their gender to constitute an impediment to their progress in life, urging them to be focused and determined to succeed in life.

“Your gender is not a disability to you, you can do anything you put your mind to, even the Bible says “I can do all things”.”

Speaking, President of the Foundation, Joyce Cookey noted that availing children the necessary resources needed for their wholesome development empowers them to make the world a better place thus becoming beacons of hope for their families and the society at large.

Cookey stressed that the event was aimed at children on the island and also sensitize them on building a brighter future for themselves, living a healthy life, and the importance of etiquette, adding that her NGO remains a support system to them while they grow.

“Children are the hope of our family and the reason we strive to make the world a better place.”

In her presentation, one of the resource persons, Adata Bristol enjoined young people to eschew nonchalant attitudes and prioritize their future, pointing out that not making plans and not dreaming big due to the advent of technology; video games and AI will have negative consequences for their future.

“If you’re in JSS 1 and you do not have a vision, you have not started, have a clear vision for yourself,” she stated, advising them with the acronym: GOAL to “G-grow, O-one step, A-at a time, L-little by little, your seeds will grow”, adding that “for Bonny to grow, it has to start today”.

Also speaking, another resource person, Justicia Green encouraged the children and youths to take seriously issues of their health, educating the upcoming generation on the dangers of human immune-deficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

“The best way to prevent HIV is abstinence and zip up,” she added.

President of the Foundation for Bonny Women Development, Joyce Cookey presented an award of excellence to the Chairman of Bonny LGA, Anengi Claude-Wilcox, in recognition of her exemplary leadership to the women of Bonny LGA and Rivers State, in general.

In reciprocity, Dame Claude-Wilcox also presented an award of excellence to the Leader of the Bonny Women Forum (BWF), Helen Pepple, which was received on her behalf by the wife a former Chairman of Bonny LGA, Iwo Edward-Pepple.

The event, which had in attendance the Vice Chairman of Bonny LGA, Omoni Longjohn, amongst other dignitaries, was packed with lots of fun activities such as a match parade, drama, dance performance, talkshow, among others, for the children who apparently had a good time.

Highpoint of the event was the recognition of a number of students who were deemed to have been of excellent behavior and academic performance in various schools in Bonny LGA.

They are the overall best students of Bonny National Grammar School (BNGS); Hart Christian Igoni and Jacob Benjamin, Government Girls Secondary School, Finima (GGSSF), Emmanuella Banigo, and Lucille International School, Ivan Jumbo, who is the reigning Queen of Mathematics, highest UTME score in Bonny LGA and Rivers State with a score of 360.

Others overall best students of Peculiar Child Global School; Augustine Praise, Community Secondary School; Pepple Victor John, Vine International School; Godgift Tobin, Spring Foundation School, Queeneth E., and Kings and Queens Group of Schools; Bipiakala Spencer.

The Bonny LGA Chairman also gifted some students she noticed had torn uniforms on with N50,000 each, as well as N50,000 to Prince Amango Christian of Model Primary School for being the youngest in the parade.

She also donated the sum of N100,000 to the three secondary schools; Lucille International School, Peculiar Child Global School and Government Girls Secondary School, Finima (GGSSF) UBE, and a primary school, Boyle Memorial School, for the best performance in the parade.