Victor Effiong
Entrepreneurs, students and residents of Kalabari Kingdom are set to benefit in a historic boost in community empowerment as Amanyanabo of the Source, Elem-kalabari, Mujahid Dokubo Asari, and newly crowned traditional head of Da-Ogo Polo (group of houses), Prince Tonye Princewill, have announced multimillion naira empowerment schemes to support businesses, education, and health of people of the area.
Prince Tonye Princewill who unveiled a N10 million development fund at his first general meeting as Polo-dabo, at Da-Ogo Memorial Hall in Buguma, Asari-Toru LGA, announced that ten beneficiaries will each receive N500,000 to boost their businesses, while N5 million of the fund would be reserved for education and healthcare interventions.
While urging beneficiaries of the gesture to act as good ambassadors of the family and Kalabari kingdom, the Prince of Kalabari Kingdom emphasised that “development only thrived where there is peace and stability” and expected all members of the family to play their own part in maintaining peace.
On his part, the Amanyanabo of the Source, Mujahid Dokubo Asari who pledged N100 million to complement the initiative, announced N50 million to support entrepreneurs engaged in verifiable businesses in the area, and another N50 million for education empowerment.
Under the education fund, Polytechnic, School of Health Technology, and University students from the family will receive N30,000 monthly, while tuition and registration fees for postgraduate and first-degree students will be fully covered.
He promised that all the pledges he made will be redeemed on or before December the 1st, 2025.
The Monarch, Dokubo Asari equally expressed a deep satisfaction that the family had finally produced a new Polodabo of the quality of Prince Tonye saying they may not know the gem that they have, but he for one does.
“During the debates for Governor in 2015, an Italian friend of mine called me shouting and asking who is that Obama you have in Rivers state? The level of intelligence and contacts that Tonye has is so rare, not just in Rivers state but in Nigeria and we are lucky to have him run our affairs. Many see me contributing to other families I am connected to, but ask me why not the Ogo house? That’s because there was no leadership we could believe in. But now there is”, he said.
Responding to the gesture in a statement signed by the secretary, Ogo Group of Houses, Jenewari Ntiego Alioma, the Prince thanked his big brother the King for his kind words and generous donations, promising to do all in his power to justify the confidence reposed in him.
He also assured that the committee already set up for the Ogo Elebabene development fund will ensure proper dissemination of the funds to deserving beneficiaries after a thorough screening.
The event also witnessed the induction of two chiefs – Tamunoemi Lawson-Jack and Chief Isoboye Princewill into the Ogo Elebabene Council of Chiefs by the Polo-dabo, Prince Tonye Princewill.***
