Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson at the weekend visited Ijebu Ode, Ogun State to re-connect with his kith and kin in the Fidipote ruling house, where he expressed willingness to strengthen the bond of relationship between the two states.
Accompanied by members of his immediate family and top government functionaries on his visit to Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebu land, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Dickson assured the people that his administration would work with them to promote unity, peace and harmony, not only in the Niger Delta area, but also the country.
He maintained that the peoples of Ijebu and Bayelsa have many things in common, especially in the areas of commerce and hospitality, which would be explored to strengthen the bond of relationship.
“It is our desire to continue associating with you and with this land. It is our desire to connect properly in every way possible with our kith and kin here in Ijebu Ode and contribute our bit to the development of this great and blessed land, and also to work with you to promote and deepen the bond of fraternity in this country and build upon the unity of our people”, the governor said.
“As our case and several other cases clearly illustrates, we are indeed one people united by history, culture and by blood as my case demonstrates. We have come all the way from the creeks of the Niger Delta to the heartland of the Yoruba nation in Ijebu land here; we are indeed one people.
“It is our intention to continue working and partnering with you and others to see how we can work to make not only the Niger Delta but Nigeria as a whole to be one place where people live in unity, peace and harmony”.
Dickson thanked Oba Adetona and the people of Ijebu land for the warm reception he and his entourage enjoyed. He also congratulated the Oba on his 80th birthday, acknowledging his significant contributions to Ijebu land and the country at large, and noting that the monarch has conducted himself as a man of honour while promoting the customs and traditions of the kingdom.
In his remarks, Oba Adetona expressed delight over the visit of the governor, describing it as a homecoming and saying that the maternity of a child is never contestable, which is why the visit was inevitable. He also likened the governor’s visit to the prodigal son in the scriptures, assuring that Ijebu people would continue wishing him success in all his endeavours.
“I can assure you of the very best of our cooperation. It is our pleasure to have you in our midst here. It is an occasion that we have been looking forward to, to receive back home as one of our illustrious sons”, he said.
Highpoint of the occasion was Governor Dickson’s visit to his homestead in Ijebu Ode, where special prayers were offered for him and his family members.
Also, Oba Adetona donated a piece of land to Dickson to develop to further establish his relationship with his roots.
The governor, on his part, promised to name the building after his great grandmother, Princess Adebukola Fidipote, whom he described as a selfless and hardworking woman.
