Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State says the state would institute an annual lecture in honour of late Ernest Ikoli, a foremost nationalist and pioneer editor of Daily Times.
Diri spoke on Saturday night at a dinner to round off the 20th All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), in Yenagoa, the state capital.
He announced the decision following a request by the President of NGE, Mr Eze Anaba, that the state put in place such a lecture to immortalise the late Ikoli.
Ikoli, an indigene of the state, died at 67 in 1960.
Diri said that the inaugural lecture would hold in 2025, and directed relevant government officials to swing into action to make it a reality.
He said that the annual lecture being put in place would serve as a means of ensuring that memories of such persons who had done exploits during their time, were kept alive.
Diri, at the event, restated his determination to ensure that his administration also left lasting legacies in the state.
He said that he gave priority to issues of development in the state, being conscious of his limited time in office.
“For us, it is a rare privilege to serve our people. Opportunity like this does not come often. By the constitution of Nigeria, I am barred from contesting again as governor of Bayelsa State.
“So, the only thing that will speak for me, my deputy and most of us in this administration, is the legacy that we leave in terms of both human and material infrastructure.
“Developing the state is now in our hands and we will keep doing our best in the remaining three years, so that when we leave, the state will continue to feel our impact having travelled this eight-year journey in service to people of Bayelsa State and Nigeria,” he said.
Diri, at the event, approved full employment of two interns at the state-owned Niger Delta Television (NDTV) who missed out when 13 of their colleagues were earlier granted same when he visited the station last year.
He employed the interns following an appeal by Anaba at the dinner.
The governor thanked the editors for finding Bayelsa a suitable place to hold the conference and taking time out to visit various parts of the state.
In his address, Anaba, thanked the governor for recognising the essential roles editors play in shaping the society.
Anaba said that the conference also afforded the participants the opportunity to see several projects of the Diri-led administration in the state.
He thanked the people of Bayelsa for the friendly atmosphere in the state.
Anaba commended the state government on the construction of an iconic media complex named after Ernest Ikoli, and other projects.
The participants visited the ICT Village, Yenagoa, Ernest Ikoli Media Complex, Yenagoa New Yenagoa City, New Legislators Quarters, New Commissioners Quarters, Science and Technical College, Swali.
They also saw the Opolo-Elebele road (Ongoing), Zipline Medicine Distribution Centre with drones, Akaba-Okodi-Ogu road (Ongoing) Yenagoa-Oporoma Road, among others.
Earlier in a welcome remark, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mrs. Ebiowou Koku-Obiyai, commended the Guild for promoting excellence in journalism and for successfully organising the 20th ANEC.
The highpoint of the night of glitz and glamour was the induction of 12 new members of NGE.
Two past officials of the Guild, Halilu Baba Dantiye and Angela Agoawike, were also honoured for their roles in birthing the annual conference in 2004.
