May 17, (THEWILL) – Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has urged the Ijaw people, especially the youth, to uphold the values of discipline, selflessness, and justice that the late Major Isaac Adaka Boro lived and died for.
Governor Diri made the call on Friday during this year’s Boro Day celebration and wreath-laying ceremony held at the Heroes Park in Yenagoa, the state capital.
He admonished Ijaw youths to show respect for constituted authority, their leaders, and elders, stressing that Boro paid the ultimate price while fighting injustice against the Ijaw nation and must therefore be honoured with integrity.
Diri said, “Let us celebrate our hero with sobriety, honour, and integrity.
“Was Isaac Boro a criminal? Was he selfish? Did he fight for his people? These are the questions we must reflect on as we commemorate his legacy.
“Boro was not a cultist. So, I urge our youths to shun cultism. It is a destructive path that offers no benefit. The government is creating opportunities—through sports and other sectors—for young people to grow and thrive. Cultism must stop.”
He called on the leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and Ijaw National Congress (INC) to partner with the government to end rising cult-related activities, particularly as the state approaches another political season.
On the IYC’s request for May 16 to be declared a public holiday in honour of Boro, Diri said the state executive council would deliberate and take a decision.
Responding to the INC president’s plea for the preservation of the Ijaw language, the governor revealed that plans were underway to establish a full-fledged Ijaw Language Department at the Niger Delta University.
Also speaking at the event, Commissioner for Ijaw National Affairs, Chief Godspower Oporomo, represented by his Permanent Secretary, Mr Fred Kemedei, called on the Ijaw people to embody the ideals for which Boro stood.
The President of the INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said as the Ijaw nation marks the 57th anniversary of Boro’s death, it must not lose sight of his unwavering stand for justice, peace, and truth.
He commended the Diri administration for its strategic development projects and continued support for Ijaw socio-cultural institutions.
Okaba also revealed that the INC had launched an Ijaw language preservation project and urged the government to make the language compulsory in primary and secondary schools.
On his part, the IYC President, Comrade Jonathan Lokpobiri, noted that the issues Boro fought against still persist in the Niger Delta, even though some progress has been made.
He affirmed that Boro’s legacy remains evergreen in the hearts of the Ijaw people.
In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, King Bubaraye Dakolo, praised the Diri-led administration for giving direction to both the IYC and INC.
He acknowledged the progress made by the Ijaw nation since Boro’s time and called for renewed unity to tackle challenges of underdevelopment and injustice.
The ceremony concluded with the laying of wreaths at the tomb of Boro by Governor Diri, Prof. Okaba, King Dakolo, Comrade Lokpobiri, Boro’s children—Felix and Esther—and the Bayelsa State Council of Nigerian Legions, led by Elder Okubokekeme Ogele.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
