Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday, received the state cultural troupe after its victorious outing at the just concluded 31st National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) 2020.

It would be recalled that the Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture emerged overall winners of the festival held in Jos, Plateau State.

While expressing satisfaction with the cultural troupe for their outstanding performance, Governor Diri commended the team for winning the trophy consecutively four times.

His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in a statement, said the governor on behalf of the state government, congratulated and acknowledged the troupe for representing and making the state proud at the national level.

His words: “First, we thank God that our team left Bayelsa, went out there, performed, won and returned safely.

“Secondly, we thank our golden cultural troupe. Now their second name is Winners because they have been winning back to back for the fourth time.

“So may I on behalf of the people and government of Bayelsa State acknowledge and appreciate you for representing and giving us a good name and a good image out there in the larger Nigerian state.

“For today, I won’t say much. You know when you go to fish and you make a big catch, you don’t hide it. When there is darkness and you put on light, you put it on the table. So we are going to put you on the table.”

Senator Diri promised to liaise with the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry as well as the Director General of the Council for Arts and Culture on how to properly appreciate the winning team.

He encouraged them to keep up the good work and practice regularly to sustain the momentum of victories for the state.

Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Iti Orugbani, while presenting the troupe to the governor, said the team performed excellently well and made history in winning four gold medals and four silver medals out of nine competitive events.

Dr. Orugbani also informed the governor that the children instrumental team has been invited to Paris, France for an international event and that the Plateau State government also invited the team to perform.

Highpoint of the meeting was the presentation of the Presidential Gong to Governor Diri.

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