Odahiekwu Ogunde, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has assured the people of the state that his administration will promote their culture through tourism.
He gave the assurance while declaring open the Great Efi Lake Fishing Festival at Sabagreia community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.
The governor directed the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism to include the fishing festival in the state’s cultural calendar.
He described the festival as an event with great potential, capable of scaling up the economy of the state.
Diri commended the people of Sabagreia, Seibokorugha and Okoloba communities for sustaining the age-long traditional festival and urged them to make it an event to attract tourists to the state.
He said: “I believe that these are the events that would promote our history and culture. As a government, we would ensure we have our own tourist activities celebrated not only by this state but in this nation and even internationally.
“l therefore call on the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism to include this festival and other such important events in our cultural calendar. This is not just a local festival as it has the potential to attract tourists into Bayelsa.
“Events such as this promote tourism, our history and culture. I’m really happy to see this large number of people from Kolokuma-Opokuma, from other parts of the state and beyond.
“By the time we celebrate this festival every four years, I’m sure it would attract a lot of good things. The economies of scale cannot be imagined if we promote tourism with this festival.
Speaking earlier, the chairman of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, Chief Dengiye Ubarugu, thanked Diri for his presence and support towards the 2021 edition of the festival, which according to him, has given the event the required government attention it deserved.
The highlight of the festival was the governor paddling a canoe into the lake, where he caught some fishes.