PRELUDE: Who are the Warri-Beke Group of Friends? In this first edition, PENGlobal Lifestyle looks into the background of one of the most talked-about socialite organisation in the southern part of Delta State in the Niger Delta region that is gradually metamorphosing from a social group into an industrious and philanthropic organisation with the aim to turn women into billionaires. Read on to learn about this women socialite group.

"Warri-Beke, Warilaborkuwei!! Warri-Beke, Not Your Regular!" the group of women socialite echoed their slogan in unison, beaming enthusiastically with smiles in front of the camera as they hobnob together for a group photograph in the sitting room of their chairlady, Mrs. Preye Jimoh Keniye, after a close door interactive session on Thursday, December 14, 2023.

Birthed in the city of Warri in Delta State on September 14, 2012, the Warri-Beke Group of Friends is a distinctive social cultural organisation with membership drawn from the Ijaw ethnic nationality, and with the vision to make a difference as role models for women within the social and business space, while at the same time promoting the Ijaw culture in terms of fashion.

◼️The name 'Warri-Beke':
Warri-Beke is an identity that was borne among this group of Ijaw women towards the need to collectively fashion out a strategy to overcome life's challenges. According to its founder and co-founders, members of the group are conquerors who have risen from the ashes to become 'Not Your Regular' women of substance, commanding due respect, honour and dignity among men.

"Warri-Beke Group of friends derive from an inspiration," said Glory Ebi Otutufegha, the group's Public Relations Officer as she delve down memory lane on its birth. "We were together at an event 12 years ago. On getting back, we were sitting with one of our sister at her shop. As humans we had some personal things we have gone through and certain things we felt we should achieve. While joking as friends, our chairperson took it as a title and said give me Warri-Beke. All of us laughed at it. After everything we accepted to take the name and use it as a Group of Friends because it's not easy. So let’s do it as a Group of Friends in case we are going anywhere we can go together," she narrated.

◼️Warri-Beke, Not Your Regular:
'Not Your Regular' which forms part of the group's slogan was coined by Mrs. Preye to reinforce the vision of the group as a role model. Knowing there are several social groups in existence, the Warri-Beke Group of Friends tend to carve a reputation for themselves, expressed not only in name alone but as part of their makeup as women of substance. They are easy to spot among the crowd in any social gathering as these women tend to carry themselves with pride and honour, in a manner that distinguishes them as 'Not Your Regular'.

"Really, we are not your regular, not the regular types of meeting you see out there," announced its chairlady Mrs. Preye. "We are women with caliber, with values, and mothers who are role models to others. When you’re that kind of person, you know you're the real Warilaborkuwei. It is not how far but how well, not how you appear outside for people to see but the real you. At the end you're to go back home and tell your people, 'Yes, this is the real me, I’ve gone and I’ve conquered; I’ve been the person you want me to be, a proud daughter of a community',” she proclaimed in admiration while other members of the group cheered her on in excitement.

Speaking further she said: "Moreover, like I will always say, 'Warri-Beke, Not Your Regular'. And being not your regular women, when you appear you like to appear good. And even those that have not known you before are impressed and want to know you more. We appear because we want to be this type of role model women. We say it through our appearance so people will know, just like the saying goes, 'Dress the way you want to be addressed.' Moreover, I will always say it is a gift and a grace God has given to us."

To this Otutufegha chipped in, "Just as the chairlady has said, we bear the slogan 'Not Your Regular' because we have social clubs and other group of friends that are just based on parties, but ours is not party alone. We do things that are different from the regular things people do—like you see your wife coming back home industriously, I think as a man you would be very proud of it. This is one of the attributes Warri-Beke preaches: you must know how to do business."

◼️Warri-Beke's Vision, Objectives:
For a group whose birth was influenced by the need to collectively overcome challenges, its members are bosses, CEOs, successful business owners or entrepreneurs in their own rights. It is not surprising that the need to be industrious is part of the criteria for admitting new members into this Group of Friends that are daily becoming popular among women folks.

"On our objectives; first, it is to show love amongst us. As you can see, we accommodate and show that love to one another. Secondly, it is to spread this helping hand among us," said Mrs. Preye, who further added that members of the group uniquely respond to other members' challenges privately without the need to inform the larger group. "In fact, among us here, before anyone will go out of this umbrella to meet others, we should be able to help ourselves. Then another thing again is for us to go into business as a group. Maybe, by the grace of God, February 2024, we will launch our group's business. I believe with that business it will be easy for us to spread this hand of helping ourselves," the chairlady revealed.

◼️Warri-Beke Membership:
According to the popular English proverb, "Too many cooks spoil the broth." In a bid to keep its focus on the purpose of the group, the Warri-Beke Group of Friends have tried to maintain a small crowd for over a decade of its existence, keeping its membership to just 26.

These members comprise of: Preye Jimoh Keniye (Chairlady), Juliet Puke Kazeem (Vice Chairlady), Glory Ebi Otutufegha (P.R.O), Endurance Bamidele (Assistant P.R.O), Clara Misoro (Secretary), Mercy Doufa (Assistant Secretary), Faith Atigbi (Treasurer), Cynthia Aruwei (Financial Secretary), Doris Cousin (Organiser), Anthonia Ejoh (Media), Jennifer Soroghaye (in-house Elder). Others are: Sandra Keniye, Ayakpo Elawaremi, Stella Ayeku, Becky Kazeem, Vivian Keniye, Bridget Keniye, Ziboke Layefa, Felicia Governor, Tina Oluba, Hope Oturubo, Ebiere Ekpemupolo, Bira Ayedi, Sonia Igere, Success Johnbull, and Faith Johnbull.

On admission of new members, Otutufegha disclosed, "We don’t just accept anybody. So far and in recent times, Warri-Beke has been a rush, everybody wants to become a member. However, we assess our members—your decency, and then how you behave yourself as a Warri-Beke member matters to us."

The chairlady reaffirmed the P.R.O's position while expounding more, "To add to what she has said already, one of the criteria we look before accepting somebody, we look at you as a married woman (though we have some single ladies among us, being a singe is not a curse anyway). Before we accept we look if really you're decent. We look at your behavior towards others. If you're the hook up type we don’t accept you. We believe even the single ones can be good mothers tomorrow. So without being a good single or spinster you can’t be a good woman tomorrow.

"Even the married women, we don’t just accept them because they are married. As married women, you can see we are all exceptional here, we carry extraordinary grace to the glory of God. Before we accept you, we check if you’re humble to your husband, if you’re a real complete woman, a role model that can motivate others. We must look at your business aspect too to know if you’re industrious. We don’t accept women as liabilities into our group, we accept women who are well-behaved, women that mean matters when they call their names. Money is not everything, but at least your appearance, your behavior, your reputation matters."

#pengloballifestyle