Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has pledged that his administration will continue to support festivals that promote unity and the cultural heritage of the people across the state.
He revealed this on Saturday when he graced both the Obunem Epie New Yam Festival in Yenagoa Local Government Area and the Odi Ogori Ba Uge International Festival in Odi, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.
He said that Obunem Epie Festival is an avenue to unite the people and to pass on the rich cultural heritage of the kingdom to the youths that do not understand their tradition. Diri, who assured the people that his administration would embark on more developmental projects in the kingdom, said since the creation of Bayelsa.
State in 1996, the area had experienced growth and development.
He listed some projects of his administration in the area to include the completed biggest media complex in the country, which is the Ernest Ikoli Media Complex.
Other ongoing projects, according to the governor, are the ultra-modern transport terminal at Igbogene, the Gloryland Drive-Onopa Road, the Igbogene-Elebele Road, the building of new secondary schools at Yenizue-Epie and Igbogene as well as completed renovation of the Azikoro Health Centre among other projects.
The governor appreciated the Epie people for their peaceful disposition and for supporting his administration since its inception, adding that the state can only develop when the people are united. Diri said:
“This is an avenue to unite our people, for our people to come together and to pass on the oral tradition of this age-long festival and ceremony.
“There are a lot of youths that might not understand our culture and heritage. In this event, there will be a rich display of our culture and heritage, and it will continue to move from one generation to the other.
“I thank the people of Epie Kingdom for their overwhelming support from when this government started.
Together, we will join our hands and develop our land, particularly Yenagoa, our state capital, which is the mirror of our state.”
Chairman of the festival planning committee, Dr Alalibo Sinikiem, also lauded the people for sustaining the festival since the maiden edition in 1958.
Dr Sinikiem stressed that the festival serves as an avenue to unite the people and as a platform to generate ideas for the development of the kingdom.
He called for the inclusion of more cultural programmes to make them richer and more impactful.