Today, I marked the grand finale of the 2022 edition of the Pa Nanaye Dickson Wrestling tournament which the Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation (HSDF) instituted in memory of my late father, Pa Nanaye Dickson.
The competition is essentially a grassroot and community based tournament aimed at discovering new talents. It begins at the community level where the champions assemble at the constituency headquarters to compete for the constituency championship, thereafter all the champions will assemble at the Local Government headquaters to compete for the Local Government championship.
Today was the meeting of all these champions to select and give prizes to the overall winner and the runners up. Meanwhile consolation prizes were also given to all the participants.
The first prize was #500,000, the second #300,000, the third prize ₦200,000 and seven consolation prizes of #100,000 each was given to all the other participants.
I thanked the paramount rulers especially that of Sagbama and Ekeremor Local Government, the Regent of Tarakiri, the High chiefs and leaders who were present. I also appreciated the youths and women who turned out in their numbers to enjoy the event and the security for maintaining peace. I thanked the organising committee whose chairman was the Late Suoye Lokoja for their selflesness. I observed a minute silence in his honour and my foundation also presented a cash donation to his family.
The Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation needs the support and encouragement of all and is open to work with all to deepen the Ijaw traditional wrestling. I thanked everyone for being part of it, including the media for the real-time reportage.
While I congratulated all the winners, I look forward to hosting the 2023 edition of the competition by the grace of God.
Lastly I called on the youths of the Senatorial District, the state and Niger Delta to strive to be the best at their endeavours and abstain from cultism, drug abuse and other social vices that will ruin their lives.
