BY John Odhe, YENAGOA
Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri has again called on people of the state to be proud of their rich cultural heritage and be part of efforts aimed at preserving it for posterity.
Governor Diri made the call through his deputy , Dr Peter Akpe, at the weekend during the grand finale of the 2026 edition of the Gbarain Uzu New Yam Festival held in Ogboloma community in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, culture helps to showcase the unique identity and history of a people as well as promote unity.
He used the opportunity to charge youths in the state to take the learning and speaking of the Ijaw language seriously, noting that cultural festivals were a platform to learn about the rich Ijaw culture.
The governor said the Uzu festival, which is rotated among communities in the kingdom, symbolised the common history and unity of the people and should be used as an effective tool to propagate Ijaw culture.
He thanked God for the fertility of Gbarain land and appreciated the people for their support for the governor Douye Diri-led government and their peaceful disposition to the development of the state.
He said, “On behalf of the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, I want to appreciate you because what I see here today is an ambience of unity and peace. These are the fertilizers for progress and development.
“We must appreciate God for blessing this land. God has really blessed us. We are talking about oil, but we have far more than oil, which is rich agriculture.
“Today we are celebrating the advent of the new yam. This yam is not just any kind of yam. It is a medicinal yam. When I was told that this yam could cure diabetes, some people may not understand or even believe.
“As we celebrate this festival, we must remember God for His faithfulness. We must reflect on how this rich heritage can be kept and preserved.
“I know that a lot of people had this kind of privilege, but they didn’t take it seriously. When they left this environment and got to the United Kingdom or the United States or elsewhere and saw the Yoruba people doing their cultural things there, they got lost.
“Let us take this festival celebration as an avenue to learn and propagate our culture because if we miss this opportunity, nobody will come and teach us what we need to know about our own culture.”
In his remarks, the Ibenanaowei of Gbarain Kingdom, King Funpere Akah, thanked God for His blessings on the kingdom and appreciated all those who came to celebrate the age-long festival.
King Akah, who underscored the significance of the festival, said Gbarain Kingdom was blessed with abundant natural resources, including oil and gas deposits.
He called on the state government and multinational oil companies to commit more resources to the rapid development of the area.
He specifically urged the government and companies operating in the area, including the Renaissance Africa Energy Company formerly known as Shell to collaborate on the dualization of Igbogene-Polaku Road, which was currently in a deplorable condition.
In his opening remarks, chairman of the occasion and Special Adviser to the governor on Political Matters, Chief Collins Cocodia, noted this year’s edition of the Uzu festival had attained a new height, expressing hope that the 2027 edition would be better.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Amananaowei of Ogboloma community, Akeri Reginald-Okoro, thanked everyone who came to celebrate the festival, describing the grand finale as historic and a cultural renaissance.
The highpoint of the ceremony was the breaking and eating of the roasted Aya Buru (New Yam) and offering of prayers, blessing farmers and the land of Gbarain Kingdom by its monarch, Akah.
Dignitaries at the event include the member representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma-Opokuma Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Chief Oforji Oboku.
Others were the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Olby Nigeria Limited, Chief Osomkime Blankson, Pere of Kabowei Kingdom, King Peremobowei Erebulu and the Paramount Ruler of Igbogene community, Prof. Augustine Ikein.
