By Perekeme Odon
Birthday celebrations can be defined as memorable at any age; nevertheless commemorating a milestone birthday like 90 years undoubtedly justifies a celebration.
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| Chief Godwin Ataria Youbai Diriyai |
There were lots of felicitations and feasting on August 3, 2019 as the family of Chief Godwin Ataria Youbai Diriyai hosted guests and the general public to celebrate with them as their loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather clocked 90 years.
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| Chief Godwin Diriyai & Guests at The Party |
The celebration was held at his home in Kaiama, Kolokuma / Opokuma LGA of Bayelsa state amid heaps of pomp and pageantry with family members, friends and well wishers from far and near who came to spice up the event, saying that Chief Diriyai would be recorded as one of the first elderly men in the family to hit the nonagenarian landmark.
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| Chief Godwin Diriyai |
Chief Diriyai, a civilized and well-respected courteous man with over 30 years experience, as a railway worker with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) have always been constructive and eloquent in all his dealings.
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| Chief Godwin Diriyai |
Born in Bukuru, Plateau state of Nigeria on August 3, 1929. After three months of birth, his mother took him home to Kaiama, now Bayelsa state where he attended Proctor Memorial Primary School from 1938-1945 and two years later he proceeding to the famous Metropolitan College, Onitsha, Anambra state from 1946-1951 where he wrote his West Africa School Certificate Examination and excelled.
He joined the Nigerian Railway Corporation in 1952 and got posted to the Nigerian Railway Training School, Ebute Metta. After his training on railway traffic, he was posted to various places around the country for practical works before been confirmed as Railway Traffic Staff.
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| Chief Godwin Diriyai As A Railway Traffic Staff |
According to him, “It was my first time in life to enter a train, so I enjoyed entering and traveling in the railways. That made me to know several places.”
As time went by, he proceeded for a six-month course in India for more professional training in railway operations and that took him to Mumbai, Bombay and several parts of India. After working for 31 years, Chief Diriyai voluntarily retired and came back to the Kaiama to start life independently. He engaged in political matters and held few appointments.
“Well, to the best of my knowledge, I have not heard of anyone in my family who had lived 90 years or over. I am happy that not all of us that started school or born of the same time are alive today. God has been so good to me as I have been living happily as a retired railway man.”
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| Chief Godwin Diriyai |
Chief Diriyai is blessed with 17 children (6 male and 11 female) from two wives and several grand and great grand children.
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| Chief Diriyai & Family |
His advise to the youths is for them to acquire good and quality education after secondary school to better themselves if there is an opportunity. “Except if no way, they should struggle on your own so that they can fit into the society positively and become a reasonable personnel without depending on others.”
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| Chief Godwin Diriyai & His Wife |
He also emphasized on the Ijaw language not spoken like when they were growing up and counseled parents to teach their children how to speak their languages. “Imagine children born and grew up in Kaiama cannot speak the Ijaw language, but prefer to speak pidgin English to communicate with their parents instead of the Kolokuma dialect, and some parents see no fault in that. We should cultivate the habit of our children understanding our languages and culture thoroughly well."
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| Chief Godwin Diriyai & His Son Pius Diriyai |
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| Barr. Dimie Berezi |
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| Guests At The Party |
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