Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Seriake Dickson on mid week said, the huge investment by his administration in the education and sports sectors is yielding positive results, in view of the laudable achievements of state’s indigenes in national and international competitions.
Governor Dickson, in a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Francis Ottah Agbo, stated this when he received five-time winners of the Milo National Schools Female Basketball Championship, Saint Judes Girls Model Secondary School, Amarata, in Government House, Yenagoa.
The Bayelsa State Governor, who also received two students, Koboye Boladei of the Ijaw National Academy, Kaiama, who has been elected into the National Children’s Parliament as Clerk and Ayebanoa-Digitieme Somosome of Saint Judes Girls Model Secondary School, Amarata, who emerged as a Member of the Parliament, noted that, the achievements were enough encouragement for the government to invest more in the critical sectors of sports and education, to ensure a bright future for the youths.
He congratulated the victorious basketball team and the principal of the school for emerging champions for an unprecedented fifth time and winning the right to represent Nigeria at the Schools World Basketball Championship in Greece, assuring that, the State Government would sponsor them to the championship.
He directed the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite and his Sports Development counterpart, Hon. Perekiye Buruboyefe, to work out modalities at ensuring that, sporting facilities at the St. Judes Girls Model Secondary School are updated to enable the team prepare adequately for the global event in Greece.
Governor Dickson, who expressed the hope that, the team put up a respectable performance in Greece, announced cash gifts of 5 million naira to the players, 1 million naira each to the coach and officials, with the principal of the school and her team to receive 1 million naira.
The National children Parliamentarian and the new Clerk are also to receive N250, 000 each, while their institutions are to get N300, 000 each.
His words “Let me on behalf of the government and good people of this state congratulate all of you. Because of your sterling performance, because you have shown what Bayelsa youths are capable of doing and achieving, you have shown by your various victories in this competition, year after year, that the investment your government has been making in your development and future are not misplaced.
“Our nation and the world should watch out, the Bayelsa and Ijaw children are coming. In every field, they are coming. That’s why I continue to call for support and understanding of our policies aimed at making more investments in the future of our state. For the youths of our state, the best is yet to come. All I can do is to take your victories as further encouragement to even do more, to invest more in
your future”
“I want to congratulate the team as they are now going to represent Nigeria at the world championship in Greece. This is a far greater honour. Our expectation is that at the end of this and by the time you leave school, you will all in addition to pursuing your academic careers, you will even take your basketball careers to another level and you can be sure that your government would be there to support and encourage you”
Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Education, Hon Jonathan Obuebite expressed appreciation to the governor for investing in the girls, who are all boarding students and have been winning trophies since he assumed office in 2012.
He explained that, the girls achieved the feat after emerging winners in the state, zonal and national levels, adding that, with the support of the government, they would achieve same feat and make the state proud in the global event in Greece.
On her part, Commissioner for Children and Women Affairs, Hon. Martha Jenakumo, who recalled how Governor Dickson came to the rescue of a male child that was wrongly circumcised and ensured funds were provided for his treatment, even after he leaves office, commended the governor for investing in children.
She attributed the emergence of the two Bayelsa student as Clerk and member of the Nigerian Children Parliament from the rigorous screening exercise as a manifestation of the enormous investment made by the restoration administration in education and the children of the state.
Highpoint of the ceremony was the presentation of the five Milo Basketball Championship trophies from 2012 to 2018 by the captain of the school team, Miss Susan Odiowei, and the Most Valuable Player award by the receipient, Miss Regina Donanu.