Obukome Ibru Honours Nigeria’s High Commissioner To Jamaica, Dr. Tamuno

By Prince Davies and Chioma Martins.

Obukome Ibru has honoured Nigeria’s High Commissioner and Ambassador to Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti, Dr Maureen Tamuno, describing her as a great and intelligent woman leader who knows her onions and carries out her duties conscientiously. Obukome Ibru hosted her to a congratulatory party over her recent appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari as the High Commissioner and Ambassador to Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Although both women are members of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) board, Ibru said the occasion was aimed at celebrating womanhood with the sole aim of changing the previous narrative of women known for opposing

each other, but women who encourage and improve one another.
While stressing the need for women to be given an opportunity in politics and governance, she said women should be voted for and not just given appointments.
She defined women as beings that can multi-task and have the innate ability to achieve a lot if allowed to deploy their natural endowments, especially in governance.
Obukome Elaine Ibru, who runs a philanthropic programme through her non-governmental organisations (NGO): Obuks Ibru Initiative and Obuks Women Organisation and Primary Education Fund, Based in Ughelli, Delta state, uses the platform to empower women, do her quota in supporting the government to work towards poverty eradication in Nigeria, provide primary education for children and health care for the less privileged.
While giving a citation of the celebrant, she charged women to be steadfast and consider education as the bedrock and platform to attain greater heights in life.
Biography Of Her Excellency Maureen Tamuno:
Dr Maureen Piribonemi Tamuno was born on June 13, 1963, to the family of Elder late Mrs Clement Chepaka of Alawari in Agbabiri, Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
She started her education at Ogoloma Town School, Ogoloma, Rivers State, where she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC). Thereafter, she moved to the Holy Rosary Girls Secondary School, Port Harcourt where she obtained her West African School Certificate (WASC).

She proceeded to the Kaduna State Polytechnic, Kaduna, where she obtained a National Diploma (ND) in Production Management and later the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi, where she obtained her first degree in Management Studies and proceeded for her Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) also in Management and Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing.

She also obtained M.Sc. and PhD (Marketing), specializing in Strategic Marketing and Consumer Behavior from Ebonyi State University.

Political Career:
Tamuno served as a member of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) from December 2005-2007. She assisted a female pilot, a male pilot and an Aeronautic Engineer from Rivers State through the state and family scholarship.
As a representative of the Ogu-Bolo Council Area of the Rivers State House of Assembly, she impacted the lives of her people and the entire state by initiating and monitoring several projects to completion, among which are the Civic Arena at Ogu Bolo, Concrete Road, Bolo Civic Hall and Wakanma Town Hall, among others.

It was during her time as Chairman, House Committee on Education in the Rivers State House of Assembly that the State College of Education was upgraded to university status now known as the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt through an executive bill she sponsored.

She was also elected in Cameroun as a Nigerian female representative to the Commonwealth Women Parliamentary Association, hosted by female members in Port Harcourt.
As Chairman of Ogu-Bolo Council, she commissioned several projects and programmes, among which is the 11.8 kilometre National Grid Electricity Project to Bolo community, the ultra-modern secretariat of the local government council, water treatment plant in Elle Town, among others. She is currently High Commissioner/Ambassador to Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
She is also the permanent representative of the International Seabed Authority in the Maritime Industry.

Philanthropic Works:
She is a great philanthropist, with the help of her NGO Pearls And Growth Club, which she founded to serve humanity, she has carried out and sponsored several empowerment programmes mainly aimed at improving the lives of young and adolescent girls like training 100 girls in photography, bead making, making of liquid soap in 2016.
The NGO also trained 150 girls on catering, make-up, photography, bead making, head tying, and Making of African notepad and liquid soap in 2018.
Skills Acquisition Training in 2018 also empowered 150 females in Catering, Make-up, Photography, Bead making, Head tying and Making of notepads using local fabrics and liquid soap 2018.
In January 2019, the group also trained and empowered 50 Bolo women with sewing and grinding machines.
Skills acquisition training and empowerment of 300 females on; Make-up, Photography, Making of Liquid detergent, Bead making, Head tying, Hairdressing in August 2019.
She is happily married and blessed with Children. As a polyglot, she speaks Okrika, Hausa, Igbo, Efik, Ibibio and English languages.
Several dignitaries and prominent personalities from different sectors in the country graced the celebration.
Those who attended the event are former Speaker, Cross Rivers State House of Assembly and former member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Edi Gabriel, former Director-General, National Sports Commission Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, Chief Oscar Ibru, Lady Maiden Alex Ibru, Chief Amagbe, Denzil kentebe (former DG local content commission) Olorogun (Dr) C.J Ibru, Olorogun (Mrs.) Wanda Ibru, Honorable Yemi Keri (former commissioner Edo state), Chief Zizi Cardow, Paris Ado Sanusi, CSP Oyin Frances SOA and Vera Akpa.

Also present at the event were Solabomi Erinoso, Cecilia Peter-Vigboro, Kate Ogungbadero, Lola Odey, Robert Mneh, Abdulateef Elelu Adoga, Gabriel Edi, Ogundokemi Oladele, Voke Eva Ukpebitere, Annette Ibru, Akwue Michelle Okocha (Peter), Komon E. Godwin, also known as Gordons, Barsorge Tariah Jnr. Fred Amata, Vivian Metchie, Mudiaga Enajeroh, Jide Kene Achufusi, Mudiaga Enajeroh ( Mudi of Africa), Mr Felix Duke. ( president of the creative industry group) and Patience Duke, among several others.