Rotary Seeks Bonny Kingdom’s Support To End Polio
Rotary International District 9141 is looking to the traditional leadership in Bonny Kingdom to help drive community participation in the fight against poliomyelitis.
The District Governor, Chibueze Olikagu, on Friday, October 9, 2026 during a courtesy visit to the Bonny Chiefs Council (BCC), stressed the importance of local engagement in achieving its polio eradication goal.
Speaking duringnthe visit which held at the Bonny Consulate, Olikagu reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to eradicating polio across communities within the district.
With traditional rulers wielding significant influence within their communities, their support could help strengthen vaccination awareness, counter misinformation and encourage parents to ensure their children receive polio vaccines.
According to him, engaging Bonny Kingdom’s traditional leadership provides an opportunity to enlist community leaders in promoting awareness, encouraging vaccination and building public confidence in immunisation campaigns.
Traditional institutions can be influential in helping health workers reach households, addressing misinformation and encouraging parents and caregivers to ensure eligible children receive routine and campaign vaccinations.
While the district governor’s remarks centred on Rotary’s eradication mandate, the visit underscored the potential value of collaboration with community leadership in advancing that goal.
Welcoming the delegation, Chairman of the Bonny Chiefs’ Council, Se-Alabo Dagogo Souala Claude-Wilcox, commended Rotary International for its humanitarian interventions and contributions to community development.
He assured the organisation of Bonny Kingdom’s willingness to partner with it in areas of mutual interest.
President of the Rotary Club of Grand Bonny, Se-Alabo Abel Attoni, explained the kingdom’s distinctive traditional and administrative structure to the visiting delegation, offering context for engagement with its leadership and communities.
Other Bonny chiefs present included Se-Alabo Opuada Willie-Pepple and Se-Alabo Iganima Jack-Manilla Pepple.
Rotary International has played a prominent role in the global campaign to eradicate polio through advocacy, resource mobilisation and support for immunisation efforts.
Sustaining progress requires continued vaccination, effective public-health delivery and community participation, making cooperation with traditional rulers an important avenue for reaching children and families who might otherwise be missed.
The engagement therefore presents an opportunity for Rotary District 9141 and Bonny Kingdom to translate their expressed willingness to cooperate into practical community-based initiatives, with polio prevention and eradication among the potential areas of collaboration.
