Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva was on Monday dubbed a :Hero of The Ijaw Nation” by the Heroes of Ijaw Nation Research Centre.
The Author of the book Heroes of Ijaw Nation, and Group President HINREC (Heroes of Ijaw Nation Research Centre) Gesikeme Akparakata presented to His Excellency Chief ( Dr) Timipre Sylva the Historic King Frederick William Koko War boat, fortifying him for the political battle ahead. In his words, the prolific author Gesikeme Akparakata described the former minister as ‘the future of Bayelsa state and one of the Ijaw Nation’s finest politicians…’
‘Honestly we need him to save Bayelsa State, we need him to bring his expertise as former Minister to transform the State from the forest as being described by one of our former Governors’
The Center commended Sylva for the noble roles he has played over the years in improving and promoting the Ijaw nation, especially in protection of heritage and deepening of the intellectual pool of the Ijaw nation.
An elated but somewhat emotional Sylva talked about his first run as Governor of Bayelsa State and lectured the center on how he conceptualised the amnesty program, which, ultimately settled restiveness in the Niger Delta region in a screeching stop.
Sylva declared the passage of the PIA ACT 2021 as the highlight of his time as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources
The once knotty PIB had defied passage for more than two decades and three presidencies.
In his acceptance, Sylva thanked the HINREC for the commendable job they have been doing and posited that it was about time Ijaw Heroes were celebrated.
Sylva extolled some Ijaw leaders of blessed memories whose strides helped shape and preserved the Ijaw nation of today.
‘During my time as governor Boro Day was a state event, it was celebrated both in London and in Yenagoa, but today our youths go cap in hand seeking for funds for Boro day. That is not fair at all’
Sylva also mentioned the late Nationalist Ernest Sissei Ikoli who was the pioneer editor of Daily Times and later became a parliamentarian in Lagos.
‘Ijaw nation is blessed with ready examples of virtue for the upcoming generations to follow. We have an enviable pantheon of great men and women in our history and it is time to celebrate and honour them because it is they who have set the pace for us’
‘I thank the HINREC for this honour, this will spur me to do even more and I am certain, as an Ijaw man, I will live up to the trajectories you have graciously set for me’
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