The people of Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State have asked the state government to prioritize the health of the people in the area by providing a specialised health facility to tackle pollution-related health challenges.
This was one of the issues raised by stakeholders in the kingdom as the community engagement by the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas entered the community.
During the interactive session, community leaders, youth and women representatives, and other stakeholders voiced their concerns and made urgent appeals to the state administrator for redress.
Speaking, Vice Chairman of the Bonny Chiefs’ Council, Jack-Wilson Pepple, called on the state government to act swiftly on the issues raised and urged multinational companies to honour their agreements with host communities.
The Sole Administrator of Bonny Local Government Area, Mr. Kingsley Banigo, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnering with security agencies in line with the vision of the Rivers State administrator to safeguard lives and property across the local government.
“We are stronger together. Unity and cooperation among all stakeholders are essential to securing Bonny and improving the quality of life for our people.
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“During our time in office, we will work with everyone to ensure peace, safety, and development,” Banigo stated.
Responding, Vice Admiral Ibas, represented by the state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, emphasised that information sharing remains a critical component of effective security operations, urging citizens of Bonny to actively support the process.
He stated that the engagement is aimed at bringing governance closer to the grassroots, with a focus on security and welfare.
While expressing satisfaction with the candid contributions of stakeholders, the administrator assured that all concerns raised would be documented and addressed.
He condemned the recurring incidents of kidnapping in the area and called on the community to assist security agencies in identifying perpetrators, many of whom reside within the locality.
The event was attended by service commanders, permanent secretaries, top government officials, and civil society representatives.
