By Gloria Chukwu
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has called on corporate organisations operating in the state to support the promotion and preservation of the people’s cultural heritage by sponsoring traditional festivals as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The governor made the appeal on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 69th Odi Ogori Ba Uge International Festival in Odi, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.
Diri said cultural festivals such as the Odi Ogori Ba Uge celebration are deeply rooted in the history, identity and economic survival of the people and should not be left solely to government funding.
“I am happy with what you are doing but it is not yet enough. I want to see the private sector as part of the sponsorship of festivals like this in our state. I want to see banks in Bayelsa sponsoring activities like this,” the governor said.
He noted that in many parts of the world, cultural festivals thrive through private sector sponsorship rather than government funding.
“Celebrations like this across the world do not depend on government as they are mostly private sector sponsored. But in our situation, organisers often depend on government,” he added.
The governor urged participants to appreciate the historical significance of the festival rather than viewing it merely as a social event.
“It is not enough to come here just to celebrate. We should also try to know why we are celebrating because most of us do not know the history of the celebration,” he said.
Diri explained that the festival commemorates the historic defeat of a mysterious buffalo, known as Ogori, which terrorised the community and prevented residents from accessing their farms and carrying out their daily economic activities.
“I know the story behind this festival that hunters with their skills brought down a buffalo that prevented people of the community from going to farms. I believe that God used the hunters and the people to free themselves from the buffalo,” he said.
According to the governor, the festival symbolises freedom, unity and resilience, reflecting how the people came together to overcome adversity.
“This celebration actually means freedom for the people, who were imprisoned by a buffalo, and in unity they fought back. It was because the people of this community wanted freedom that they came together,” he stated.
Earlier, Chairman of the 2026 Odi Ogori Ba Uge International Festival Planning Committee, Prof. Ebikisei Udisi, described the event as more than an annual celebration, saying it serves as a living reminder of the community’s history and cultural identity.
He explained that the festival commemorates the victory of the Odi people over the wild buffalo that terrorised the community for about five years, disrupting farming, trade and other socio-economic activities.
“Today, 69 years after the historic killing of the Ogori, we gather for the 69th edition of this great festival,” Udisi said.
“This is, therefore, not just another festival. It is a celebration of the survival of a people, the power of unity and the ability to transform painful historical experience into a source of identity, pride, culture and hope.”
He urged the younger generation to preserve the history and values handed down by their forebears.
“The story of Odi teaches us that adversity can be transformed into strength and that history must not merely be remembered. It must be preserved and passed on to future generations. The Odi Ogori Ba Uge Festival is therefore a bridge between the past and the future,” he said.
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