Diri Hails Bayelsa Athletes on Niger Delta Sports Festival Victory

*Says feat justified his decision to build an Olympic stadium 

Olusegun Samuel  in Yenagoa 

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has applauded the state’s athletes over their top place finish at the just-concluded maiden Niger Delta Sports Festival in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Bayelsa topped the medals table, winning 42 gold, 29 silver and 15 bronze ahead of second-placed Delta State that won  41 gold, 26 silver, and 32 bronze medals. Edo State finished third with 23 gold, 35 silver and 31 bronze medals.

The week-long festival, held in the Akwa Ibom State capital with over 3,000 athletes from the nine mandate Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) states participating in 17 sports, was sponsored by the NDDC.

Governor Diri, who gave the commendation on Wednesday at the 159th session of the state Executive Council in Government House, Yenagoa, said the feat achieved by the state’s team demonstrated team work, perseverance and good management.

The governor stressed that  the laurels won by the team has justified his administration’s decision to construct a stadium was not misplaced, as it would be useful in grooming more talents to bring honour to  the state.

Diri said: “I welcome Team Bayelsa who were in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to participate in the maiden edition of the NDDC sports fiesta. We closely monitored it and at the end of the day, Bayelsa State emerged champions.

“Team work, individuals at their best, good management and perseverance paid off. I hope and believe that this will be the turning point for Bayelsa. 

“On behalf of your government, I thank you all for your efforts in ensuring that Bayelsa was always at the top in sports development. You have given us the reason the new stadium must be completed. We believe that we have an abundance of talents and skills in every area of sports and we need to bring up those talents by providing facilities.

“We have not misplaced priority in our thinking to start the FIFA-rated stadium project. We believe that you will continue to do more to bring more laurels to our state,” stressed the governor.

He stated that apart from sports, Bayelsa was also at the threshold of making history in infrastructure development and in other sectors.

Diri said his administration would be remembered for  the big turnkey projects it embarked upon. 

The governor noted that with the senatorial road projects such as the Nembe-Brass, Oporoma-Ukubie-Koluama; the  expected Ekeremor-Agge and many other projects, when completed, would positively impact on socio-economic development of the state and beyond.

“We have done very well.  The  projects we inherited, we have completed most of them. We also started our own projects. Today, we are sure of the Nembe-Brass road in the Eastern senatorial district. We started it and invited the Federal Government and it awarded phase two of the project while we are doing the first phase.

“The information available to me indicates that the Central senatorial road to Oporoma-Ukubie- Koluama, which has a bridge of over 600 metres at Angiama, will be completed this year.  

“The Ekeremor-Agge road, which we inherited and tarred to Ekeremor, we are about to award the remaining part. We are also constructing several other massive road infrastructure in the state.

“In education, we just commissioned six secondary schools in Yenagoa. We began a paradigm shift to hands-on education by building science and technical colleges in every local government area.

“I believe that this government is on the threshold of making history, particularly with the new programmes and projects we have initiated.

“Power is also there as we are procuring our turbines for independent power in Bayelsa State. We just returned from Abuja after yesterday’s partnership event with the Rural Electrification Agency. All of these speak to the fact that we are doing very well.”