A former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Charles Jumbo has been commended for supporting the vision of the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom to make education accessible to his people.

Secretary of the Bonny Kingdom Education Trust Fund (BKETF), Opuada Willie-Pepple gave this commendation while receiving a cheque of N5million from Jumbo for the scholarships of Bonny students.

Present at the brief ceremony in Bonny, Rivers State was the President of the National Union of Bonny Students (NUBS), Isaac Wilcox.

“This act of yours keys into the vision of His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI, Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom, who set up this scheme or this trust fund in the year about 2009 with a seed fund of a N100 million.”

“We are pleased to have received a cheque of N5million from Honourable Charles Jumbo, a onetime Caretaker Committee Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area. I feel elated that we have been given this cheque by no less a person than a son of the Kingdom.”

Willie-Pepple, who is also the Chairman of the Bonny Kingdom Local Content Compliance Committee (BKLCCC), informed that aside the seed fund, the Bonny Monarch had sustained the Trust Fund through statutory payments from companies operating in Bonny, adding that so far, over 2,000 students benefit from it annually.

“His Majesty has, in his wisdom, made such payment available to the Education Trust Fund, and from 2009 till date, we have, I must say, been paying and funding the scholarships of students in various universities and polytechnics that have Bonny indigenes to the tune of over 2,000 persons.

While presenting the cheque, the former CTC Chairman, Charles Jumbo said his motivation for the gesture was predicated on helping students to assail the challenges of funds unavailability which often fosters school dropouts, poor grades and sometimes avoidable temptations, especially in view of the current Nigerian economic realities.

“Well, l thought it wise that I should start up this scholarship donation this year and because of the hardship in the land occasioned by the biting economic realities in Nigeria.”

“I cannot deny the fact that Bonny kingdom has blessed me and I think one of the ways to give back to the land is to also be a blessing to others, especially, those who may not be able to afford their fees. So, I decided to take off the scholarship scheme this year.”

He added that the educational investment was also borne out of the need to key into the vision of the Amanyanabo of Bonny for setting up the Bonny Kingdom Education Trust Fund towards amplifying the educational milestones of his sons and daughters.

“I also wish to use this scholarship intervention as a way of keying into the educational vision of His Majesty, the King towards ensuring that Bonny sons and daughters have no limitation in going to school.”

“This year, I started with N5million which I just issued to the BKETF in cheque. It is for those that will do a four years course, each of them should be going home with N1million.”

He further pledged to continue supporting educational initiatives, stating that the trend of providing scholarships would continue.

For his part, President of the National Union of Bonny Students (NUBS), Isaac Wilcox commended the former CTC Chairman over his generosity to the students, adding that the donation will impact their lives by sorting their fees which would be a relief to most of them, urging him and other well-meaning individuals to sustain the positive development.