By Eunice Nnachi, Yenagoa
The First Lady of Bayelsa State, Ambassador, Dr. Gloria Diri has described culture as a bridge that extend people back to their root,uniting the past and also that points towards guiding the future.
Dr. Mrs Diri stated this at the Ground breaking /Three Billion Naira Fundraising for the construction of the Izon Ladies Association Of Nigeria (ILA)National Secretariat Complex at Gabriel Okara Cultural Center,Yenagoa.
Represented by Technical Adviser to Governor Diri on Diaspora Matters who doubles as Bayelsa Contact and Focal person for Diaspora, Dr Diri hailed ILA sisters for their enormous contributions in shaping the society which she said extend far beyond cultural preservations.
She said “Through your actions you have wave together a sense of unity and identity among the Ijaw people strengthening the bonds that tied us together,you stand as a gate keeper of our tradition and custodians of our ancestral wisdom.
“Today I am deeply honored to address this extraordinary group of women who have made their lives work to preserve and promote our vibrance and divers Ijaw culture in your dedicated hands”.
She also commended ILA for it’s activities and initiative to launch a National Secretariat Complex ,saying that it’s in line with the Dr Gloria Diri Foundation main focus to empower the girl child with requisite skills to become self reliant and employers of labour.
She further extolled the virtues of Ijaw women for their resilience and tenacity in ensuring they stand tall among tribes while encouraging them to continue to do the good work they are doing and not to relent,adding that the Ijaw people are proud of them.
Presenting her welcome address, the National President of Izon Ladies Association Nigeria (lLA)Princess Barr.(Mrs.) Laura Church-ere Komonibo said the Association started in Lagos in 1977 and was known as Izon Ladies Association Lagos which has metamorphosed into Izon Ladies Association Nigeria with branches in Yenagoa, Abuja, Asaba and Warri.
She hinted that Port Harcourt and Benin branches are in the offing, promising it will spread to other cities in Nigeria with reasonable presence of Izon people.
According to her, ILA objective is to promote Izon culture, healthy living and well-being of women and children empowerment, girl child education, collaborate with other Izon social cultural groups to promote peaceful coexistence and work with leaders whenever the need arises.
Stressing further she informed that, membership of ILA is open to Izon daughters and wives from 25 years and above, also listed some of the activities of the association to include provision of books, uniforms to needy Primary School Children, award of scholarship to young girls from Secondary Schools to University level culminating in a yearly momentary award of N200, 000 to the best graduating Izon female students at the NDU.
Others are merit award to young girls and women who excelled in their professions, of particular was 8 young girls that made first class from different Universities, advocacy sensitization against teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, cultism, rape, gender violence, presentation of relief materials to families during the 2012, 18 and 22 floods.
On behalf of ILA,she thanked Governor Douye Diri for his various empowerment programmes for women, youths and also lauded his wife, Ambassador Dr.(Mrs.) Gloria Ebibomo Diri for her philanthropic gestures to Bayelsa women and the girl child.
The Guest Speaker, Professor Benjamin Okaba, President Izon National Congress and the Dean School of Postgraduate Studies, Federal University Otuoke in his lecture titled” Cultural Revival: Imperative for Unity and Sustainable Development for Ijaw Nation described culture as the way of life of the people. He enjoined Ijaws to be proud of their cultural heritage and strive to prevent it from going extinct by speaking the dialet to their children, give them native names, dress in Ijaw attires, sing songs and tell stories in the Ijaw dialect.
The erudite Professor charged traditional rulers to speak truth to political leaders and call them to order if found derailing from the ideals of the Izon founding fathers.
Professor Okaba advised Ijaws not to write frivolous petitions to stall on going Federal projects in Ijaw land as evident by the ligations among Ogbia communities in respect of the Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum and. Research Centre. He urged the parties involved to withdraw the case for the overall interest of the Ijaw Nation.
Highlights of the event was lecture, presentations, cultural dance by the Bayelsa State Council for Art and Culture and lunching of the ILA National Secretariat Complex.
