By David Owei, Yenagoa.

It was an atmosphere saturated with joy, gratitude, nostalgia and reflection , as family members, associates and creme de creme gathered to testify to the power of God and to celebrate the 7Oth birthday of a retired gallant officer cum business man, Elder Sunday Isibor, who many poured ecomiums on him and applauded him as an epitome of humility and generousity and worthy of emulation by the society.

As prayers were offered to God to continue to protect and preserve him to enable him contribute more to humanity.

To add more pep to the occasion, many Christian groups were not left out, they sang and danced to the admiration and appreciation not only to celebrant, Elder Sunday Isibor and the entire enthusiastic audience, as well as ribs cracking jokes by the Master of ceremony making the ambience a joyful and memorable day devoid of any dull moment.

Earlier the man of the moment,Elder Sunday Isibor , who was dressed in his native attire ( blue agbada with a cap to match ) depicting Igbanke tribe from Delta,boundary community with Edo state on alighting from a car was ushered into the arena with a melodoius christian song ,beaming with smiles and waved cheerfully to the admiration of the audience before he took his special seat.

There was enough food and drinks, as the MC had earlier announced to the audience that there was enough to eat, drink and of course to take away and souvenirs were freely distributed as none of the guests left without something to remember the day with.The ceremony took place at Udeme Hotel,Opolo,Yenagoa,the Bayelsa state capital.

Pastor Jackson Uzuaegbe of the Redeem Christian Church had earlier said ten years ago,when Elder Sunday Isibor marked his 60th birthday they prophesied and prayed for his 70th birthday and thanked God for it’s manifestation,and prayed for more years upon his life and those present at the auspicious event.

Elder Isibor Sunday, a retired Senior Police Officer was full of joy as he celebrated the goodness of God in his life for the past 70 years.

Speaking with journalists after the ceremony, the joyous celebrant said he was so elated and grateful that God kept him alive for this 70 years and still waxing strong,Saying he never felt as if he has clocked that number of age in his life.

According to him, “it was not easy as a single father to have raised all my children by myself since I lost my wife over 30 years ago. I will always be thankful to God for my life, strength and the grace to carry through”.

“Whatever am today and my family, I owed it to God who directed the affairs of life and that of family. Before now I was helping myself with a walking stick, but as you can see at 70 I can walk, dance and do things freely without being assisted. All this cannot be possible without God.

“It’s because of all this great things that God has done in my life that also help me to train up my children in a Godly way for them to have for God and respect for humanity”.

In his sermon, Evang. Miracle Chris Nnawulhe who took his text from 1 Corinthian 1v8-9 said, the faithfulness of God is not judged by human expectations, Saying God faithfulness is beyond what a man is thinking.

The sermon which he titled: God Will Keep You, he said it is one thing to be old and another thing is to be strong. ” There are some certain things that happened to us that we will want to questions the faithfulness of God and we have come to celebrate the faithfulness of God”.

According to the evangelist, one must be at one with God and by so doing, He will keep your spirit, soul and body and every other things that concerns you.

Elder Isibor Sunday is a pioneer members of Glorious Christian Church of God in Kpansia Yenagoa bayelsa state and he also a Trustee of the church.While,the General Overseer of Glorious Christian Church, Kpansia, pastor Nnawulhe testified to the resilience and unwavering commitment of Elder Sunday Isibor,who has vowed to remain steadfast to the church ,even when members deserted the church due to relocation and promised to continue to worship there till eternity ” Elder Sunday Isibor had been with this church through think and thin” he said .

He was described as a lover of truth, humble, with the fair of God and not a noise maker.

Also speaking, one of Elder Isibor Sunday son, Mr Bethel Isibor described his father as a great man, saying he has done a lot for them as children.

“Been a single dad of over thirty years when we lost our mother, he has been there being a mother and a father to us. I say he is a great man because it’s only a great men that stand their ground and say I must train this children to a greater height. He also trained us to a principled in life, whatever you are doing, you should have a principle to succeed.

“He is one of those principle and we have been following it and we have been succeeding. He also helped us to identify Christ which has helped us to shapen our lives. Knowing that we have to serve God wherever we are. As for the crowd, everyone just came to celebrate him because he has touched may lives as was testified by those who gave their good will messages and testimonies “, he said.

He went further to say that their father is a great disciplinarian and generous, and influenced the lives of many people that come to him for assistance of any kind, spiritual and financial.

BY WARIYAI DANIEL, YENAGOA.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has endorsed the 60th anniversary and Sports Icon Awards of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) scheduled to hold in Abuja from Oct. 29 to Oct. 31, 2025.

Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the NSC gave his approval for the Diamond Jubilee event when the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Local Organising Committee (LOC) of SWAN@60 visited as part of stakeholders’ engagement ahead of the ceremony.

A Statement by the SWAN @60 Media and Publicity Committee says Bukola Olopade, Director-General of NSC received the SWAN delegation led by Isaiah Benjamin, Ikenna Okonkwo and Ben Ogbemudia, President, Secretary General and Chairman of the LOC respectively at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Olapade who spoke on behalf of Dikko commended SWAN for its professionalism, visionary leadership, and commitment to sports development and administration in Nigeria through responsible journalism.

The administrator said sports writers were crucial to lending credibility to activities in the sports sector at a time when falsehood and distrust had become the order of the day.

Olapade who was presented with an award for his contributions said there was need for continued collaboration between the NSC, sports federations, and the media to promote grassroots and elite sports.

He said the ongoing partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau was an example of synergy for national progress.

The DG reiterated the Commission’s support, continued collaboration and partnership with SWAN to promote sports journalism and development adding that the award was a testament to credibility of what the NSC was doing.

Addressing the President, Olapade said, from the first time we met, I saw your visionary attitude, every one of our conversations has always been about your members’ interest.

“That has been the foundation of the image you and the General Secretary have shown.

“I must commend the professionalism of SWAN members in the reportage and management of pre-election activities within the sports community.

“I also acknowledge your role in sustaining public trust and protecting the reputation of sports administrators.

“In the past, the public space would have been filled with confusion and complaints, but you have handled information with maturity and responsibility. I sincerely appreciate that.

“I want to assure you that there is nothing you need from us that you will not get,” he said.

Olopade dedicated the award to Chairman Dikko and the entire Commission noting that their collective leadership and teamwork had greatly advanced sports development across the country.

Earlier in his remarks, the President of SWAN, Benjamin, commended the National Sports Commission for its efforts in ensuring sports development in the country.

Benjamin used the opportunity to officially invite the NSC leadership to the SWAN 60th anniversary celebration and award ceremony scheduled to hold in Abuja, the nation’s capital territory.

Other members of the delegation were Ijeoma Peter-Nwante the Financial Secretary, and Friday Joshua, member a the LOC and Assistant Secretary, SWAN FCT, Chapter.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has urged the United Nations to institutionalise the protection of the world’s deltas, including Nigeria’s Niger Delta, through a convention.

The Bayelsa governor stated this against the backdrop of increasing threats from erosion, pollution, flooding as well as shrinking salt marshes and mangroves to the world’s 25 deltas.

His spokesperson, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in a statement, quoted Governor Diri as having spoken on Monday during the opening of a three-day “4th Mega Delta Meeting: International Conference on Dialogue Between Land and Sea” in Shanghai, China.

Stakeholders had identified the threats as a global problem that required international cooperation to find solutions and prevent the extinction of the deltas and their capacity for sustainable livelihood and economic development.

Governor Diri stated: “It is with deep emotion that I address this gathering, for these deltas are not merely places on a map. They are the lifeblood of our communities, custodians of our stories, and the fragile promise of tomorrow.

“I speak with urgency and passion — not only to list challenges, but to honour the courage and resilience of those who continue to live, work, and dream in these deltas.

“These deltas feed nations, anchor economies, and nurture biodiversity. Yet they face rising seas, land subsidence, and dwindling sediment flows. From the Yangtze River (in China) to the Mekong River (in Southeast Asia; from the Danube (in Europe) to the Niger Delta, the pattern is the same. The deltas that sustain us are under threat.”

He cited the report of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission titled: “An Environmental Genocide: Counting the Human and Environmental Cost of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria” as detailing what happens when ecosystems are exploited without accountability.

He also said it was a reminder that environmental resilience must begin with justice.

Diri averred that the global body must take responsibility and urgent action to prevent the ongoing depletion of the river deltas.

“If deltas connect rivers to the oceans, then this conference must connect knowledge to action. That is why Bayelsa State, with the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, has been leading the call for a United Nations Convention on the Conservation of River Deltas (UNCCRD)”

Urging stakeholders at the conference to point the way forward by making a declaration of intent, he said the proposed convention would protect deltas as unique and fragile ecosystems, restore degraded wetlands and empower local livelihoods as well as mobilise global science and finance for sustainability and adaptation.

“At home, we are translating this vision into practice. We have created a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to align our conservation efforts with opportunity.

“We are restoring mangrove forests, which are the green shields of our coastline. We are training youths and women for livelihoods in aquaculture, eco-tourism, and renewable energy.”

The conference had in attendance 180 participants from 31 countries, including policy makers, scientists and researches from the academia, community leaders and civil society organisations.