Sustaining Peace, Only Way Projects, Businesses Can Thrive – Monarch

By: Wokoma Emmanuel

As a result of current agitation by workers in Bonny for improved salaries and allowances, a high powered meeting was held with the Natural Ruler and Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI, wherein he called on the people to maintain the peace, saying, it is the only way projects and businesses can thrive in the area.
This charge was given in a meeting with stakeholders on issues bordering on NLNG Train7 and other related projects.
The meeting which was at the instance of the monarch had in attendance the BIRC, Union Chairmen of SCDJV, IYC, Bonny Kingdom Professionals Association and the Bonny Youth Federation.
The monarch in his speech, reiterated the importance of peace, its benefits and the consequences of its opposite.
Pepple appreciated the union executives and the entire workforce for heeding to his call to reopen the company’s gates, noting that he was not adverse to the negotiations as it will go on concurrently with work; while the safety, lives and properties of the people must be guaranteed.
The leadership of the various institutions present at the meeting took time to enumerate their challenges, concerns and misgivings on issues raised. After listening to the presentations by the various leadership of all the participants at the meeting, Pepple stressed the need for all to work in synergy while putting the Kingdom’s interest above self.
He said, “regardless of the differences, it is important we all work together for the collective good of the Kingdom. We must sustain the peace, that is the only way projects and businesses can thrive. Going forward, I would like to see a cordial working relationship among the agencies in the Kingdom. We should and must work together. What is more important is to make the most out of the opportunities that abound and that cannot be achieved if we are divided as a people”.
On the workers unions, he advised them to continue with their negotiations but bearing in mind the interest of Bonny indigenous workers, pointing out that much could still be achieved by the unions without fighting.