*Redeems bus pledge to state football teams
By Emma Ogbuehi
An elated Governor Douye Diri has given out N14 million motivation bonus to the state-owned Bayelsa United after its victory over visiting AS Ashanti Golden Boys of Guinea in the preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday.
The match played at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa saw the youthful Bayelsa team winning by four goals to two.
His Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, in a statement on Monday, said before the game commenced, Governor Diri had promised to encourage the players if they emerged victorious.
He told the players and officials that the team would get N10m for a win and N1m for any goal scored; a promise he redeemed immediately the game ended.
Senator Diri, who congratulated the club for the victory, urged the players not to allow it get into their heads but should rather spur them to more victories.
The governor, also on Sunday, presented a brand new Coaster bus to the team.
He made the presentation to the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Hon. Daniel Igali, and the management of the club in Government House, Yenagoa, before the Confederation Cup game.
The governor had during the official reception in honour of both Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens after both teams won the male and female 2021 AITEO Cup last month in Benin promised them a bus each.
Diri said the state was proud of the teams for bringing glory to Bayelsa.
His words: “We made this commitment to our two club sides, Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens. Today I’m happy that it is being fulfilled.
“Bayelsa United has done us proud by going continental. We hope and believe that by next year they would qualify for the professional league.
“So let me on behalf of the Prosperity Government hand over these keys to the Commissioner for Sports and the management of Bayelsa United.”
Speaking after receiving the keys, the Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Igali, said the sports family in the state was delighted with the governor for fulfilling his earlier directive on the buses.
Igali noted that with his kind gestures, the state would not only be known for sports but also for what it has done for its teams.
